What Are Friends For?
by Lil Badger 101
Summary: An old enemy of Nick's returns and this time Greg gets caught in the crossfire. Will this psycho stop at nothing? Hope you enjoy and please review :  x
1. Chapter 1: I Know You Too Well

**A/N: so here we go my third Nick and Greg story, I just can't stop writing about these two! Some more Greg angst, that's what I do best, hope you enjoy guys :) This chapter an incident at a crime scene leaves Greg a bit shaken up.**

"_**On the first page of our story, the future seemed so bright. Then this thing turned out so evil, I don't know why I'm still surprised."**__  
>- Skylar Grey, Love The Way You Lie Part II<em>

**Chapter 1: I Know You To Well**

Catherine strode down the hall checking all the labs for any signs of a Texan and his spikey haired friend. She had a robbery for the two of them to check out and she knew the pair of them had been hanging around the lab all day trying to avoid work.

Catherine and Sara were already working a murder and Ray was with a mugging victim, so Nick and Greg would have to go to the robbery whether they liked it or not. It wasn't that they were being lazy but more the fact they had just closed a rather mind bending case and they thought this meant a break afterwards, they had another thing coming.

Catherine sighed and was about to give up and call one of them when she heard a small crash come from the break room. She walked over and stood in the door way hands on hips and right eyebrow hitched up at the sight before her.

Nick was on the floor picking up a lamp and had a football under his right arm. He looked up at Catherine embarrassed while Greg stood at the other side of the room; he had both hands over his mouth and was sniggering.

"Erm sorry Cath…" Nick said sheepishly, placing the lamp back on the table it had been knocked from and placing the ball behind his back. "We were kinda bored so we thought we'd through the ball around…it was just a very bad throw" he added loudly and glared over at Greg.

"Was not" Greg protested folding his arms and sticking his nose up in the air "it was just a very bad catch…or rather a lack of one" he claimed with an evil grin at Nick, who stuck his tongue out at Greg.

Catherine couldn't help but laugh. Here she was watching two grown men poking fun at each other like they were 12, playing pass indoors like two naughty children. Nick and Greg never failed to keep Catherine entertained with their immature antics. Mind you she had always found Greg crazy and he had obviously rubbed off on Nick as they had grown closer over the years.

"Honestly you two" Catherine smiled with a role of her eyes, but then she came over all serious as she handed the robbery case file over to Nick. "Break in, owner of the house says his wife's jewellery was taken along with some expensive electronics, TV, laptop, stuff like that" Nick nodded along as he scanned over the file and Greg came over to also look at it over Nick's shoulder. "Think you can handle that weird and weirder?" she finished with a crooked grin.

"Yes ma'am" Nick smiled back, while Greg gave a small salute. Catherine shook her head and laughed before heading off down the corridor to find Sara.

"Alright let's go weirder" Greg grinned clapping Nick on the back as he walked passed him, heading to the locker room to get his kit.

"Hey no, she definitely meant _you _were weirder" Nick called after Greg, jogging to catch up with him.

"I can live with that" Greg shrugged as the pair of them pulled on their jackets and picked up there equipment.

"Right I believe it's my turn to take charge of the case…" Nick started smugly "which means we go in _my_ car and listen to _my_ music"

"Oh come on man, not that Texan twang" Greg moaned with a roll of his eyes as the duo headed to the parking lot.

"Hey for the last time it is not 'twang'" Nick stated "you just have to learn to appreciate all types of music Greg"

"Right I'll do that when _you_ go to a Marilyn Manson concert" Greg said triumphantly, knowing that would have Nick defeated.

"Whatever" was the only comeback Nick had as the two climbed into his car and headed off to their crime scene.

Once at the broken into house they were met by the flashing red and blue lights of a police car and saw a police officer stood outside the door. They also saw Brass interviewing some of the neighbours to find out if anyone had witnessed anything.

"Hey Jim" Nick called as the two men approached Brass, who was scribbling something down onto his note pad.

"Anyone see anything?" Greg asked him hopefully.

"Erm a Mrs Peterson says she saw a black Mercedes pull up about four hours ago and two men covered in black clothing got out and seemed to head into the back garden. Says she found this odd and the owner of the house and his wife were out to lunch as the time."

"Ok thanks" Nick said and started to walk around the back of the house, Greg following him.

When they got round there they saw the burglars had obviously not had a key as the glass in the backdoor had been smashed so they could get to the handle.

"Ok you take upstairs and I'll look around here and the downstairs?" Nick instructed.

"Alright you're the boss" Greg smiled and he entered the house being careful not to stand on any glass.

He went up the stairs and thought it best to start in the owner's bedroom because that was where the jewellery had been taken from. Once there he saw a lot of the draws had been opened with clothes and various other objects thrown all over the place. He wondered if the robbers had been looking for something in particular.

Greg noticed the jewellery box empty in the middle of the floor. He opened his kit and pulled out the things he needed for fingerprinting before starting work on the box. It had a golden latch on it that needed a key, but it had been forced open and there was a small blood droplet on it. Nothing was left inside but the dust and one small pearl which must have fallen off something. He bagged the pearl, took a swab of the blood and started to dust for prints, which he was pleased to find on the bottom of the box.

After that he wondered around all the other rooms on the upstairs floor but they all appeared to be untouched, the rest of the stolen items must have come from downstairs. Greg was just coming out of looking around the bathroom when he heard a door creek from the other end of the hall. He looked up and swore he saw a sudden movement coming from the other side. It was times like this Greg wished he carried a gun as he edged cautiously towards the door.

He pushed it open lightly and poked his head into the room. There was no one in there from what he could see, so he went in further. He spotted that the window was open and the curtains were billowing around in the wind. Greg concluded that's what he must have seen moving and the creek was the wind blowing the door shut. Maybe the burglars hadn't left the house the same way they had come in. He decided to head down and share his findings with Nick.

Greg was just stood at the top at the top of the stairs, when all of a sudden he felt a hard shove into his back. He tried desperately to grab hold of the bannister but failed and toppled over. He went thudding all the way down the stairs and only came to a stop when he hit the wall hard at the bottom. Greg lay unmoving.

Meanwhile Nick was in the kitchen were the laptop had been taken. He was just taking a picture of another pearl he had found when he heard the crashes coming from near the living room. He knitted his eyebrows together in confusion and headed to were the noise had come from.

"Greg are you…" Nick started to call but drifted off when he saw his friends still form at the bottom of the staircase. "Oh my God Greg!" he exclaimed and ran to his friends side. Greg's eyes were closed and he looked like he was sleeping lightly. Nick was shaking Greg's shoulders vigorously praying for some kind of response. "Come on man please wake up" Nick said now ridden with worry. He thought his heart had skipped a beat when Greg let out a low groan and his eyes flickered open. "Oh thank God" Nick whispered before turning his attention back to Greg. "What happened?" Nick questioned. "Have you broken anything? I should take you to the hospital." He said going into over protective mode.

Greg propped himself up on one arm and put his other hand to the back of his head and started rubbing it in a circular motion. "No it's ok" he lied, his head was throbbing and Nick's look of concern was not eased at all. "Nick I'm fine honestly" but then his eyes widened as he began to remember what happened. "Quick there's someone up there!" he suddenly exclaimed jumping to his feet, Nick following suit "someone pushed me I'm certain!"

Nick nodded, pulled his gun out his holster and called for one of the officers to come help him. "Stay here" he instructed Greg firmly not wanting him to get hurt again.

Nick and the officer made their way upstairs and each searched through the different rooms but there wasn't sign of anyone else up there. _Maybe Greg was mistaken,_ Nick thought as he checked the last room, or whoever it was had somehow managed to escape.

He headed back down the stairs to find Greg stood in the back garden. It was dark now and the temperature had dropped. Greg had his arms folded tightly across his torso and was looking out into the dark with a bit of a frightened look. Although he seemed to relieve a bit when he saw Nick coming out of the house unharmed.

"There was nobody up there" Nick told him "Greg are you _sure_ you were pushed"

"Yes…well I think so…oh I don't know now, maybe it was just me being clumsy" Greg sighed.

"Well if that's the case please be more careful next time" Nick said slinging his arm around Greg's shoulders and giving them a squeeze "you almost gave me a heart attack!"

"I know I'm sorry" Greg said giving Nick a half smile.

From behind the trees at the end of the garden far away enough not to be heard or seen, a pair of angry narrowed eyes were piercing down on the two men.

"Urgh so I didn't get rid of you" the man mumbled. "Pushing you down the stairs isn't good enough for you." He continued to watch as Nick put his arm around Greg. "No!" the man whispered "what are you doing? Nick you're my friend not his. He can't ever take you away from me" the man grew more and more angry. "I'm watching you Sanders, no even better I'm coming for you" after those words of threat came from his mouth the man swivelled round and headed off into the night. Those words of threat were the words of Nigel Crane.


	2. Chapter 2: And So It Begins

**A/N: Greg gets called to a place of bad memories and even more are about to erupt. Now he has a decision to make. Hope you enjoy!  
>Please review they are really appreciated :)<strong>

"_**Everyone's running from something but we don't know when it's coming so we keep running and running"**__  
>- The Script, Rusty Halo<em>

**Chapter 2: And So It Begins**

Greg and Nick had returned to the lab eager to start processing their evidence. On the way back Nick had been persisting that he take Greg to get looked over at the hospital but Greg kept persisting he was fine and he seemed fine, so eventually Nick had given up. Greg had also made Nick promise not to tell the others what had happened because if he had just fallen it would be totally embarrassing, but even though Nick insisted there was nobody upstairs, Greg was willing to bet his life he had been pushed, he had felt something or someone make contact with his back.

After dropping off the prints he had found with Mandy and the blood droplet he had found with Wendy, Greg went to join Nick at the light table where he was looking over numerous photos of the crime scene. They were just discussing the burglar's entry and exit points when Ray came to join them at the table.

"You boys need a hand?" he asked cheerfully. "Just got my mugging victim's attacker arrested so I'm free at the moment."

"Yeah sure thanks Ray" Nick said and he began to take Ray through the details of the case and what he and Greg had collected so far, leaving the bit about Greg's fall out as promised. Suddenly a small beep broke into their conversation.

"Oh that's me" Greg said taking out his pager. He scanned over the message Catherine had sent him. "Looks like I'm going to have to leave you two too it, Cath's got another robbery she wants me to check out"

"Wow the thief world is busy today" Ray sighed.

"What happened?" Nick asked "Where was it? It could have been the same robbers as the ones at the house"

"Erm a liquor store had just had some rather expensive alcohol delivered and it was taken from the alley outside where the delivery guy left it" Greg explained "The sores location is…." he trailed off and gave his pager quite a worried look "oh…" was all he managed to say quietly.

"What's up?" Nick asked with a slight frown. What could bother Greg about a crimes location?

"The store…it's near to the alley where I was beat up" Greg confessed quietly.

Ray hadn't heard much about Greg's incident a few years back, he didn't really like to talk about it. He could easily see from Nick's look of concern and Greg's rather apprehensive look it had been quite a traumatic thing and going back near the place where it happened wouldn't be such a good idea.

"I'll take it you want" Ray offered with a kind smile "you can stay here with Nick"

"No it's alright" Greg said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Catherine asked me to do it, so I'm going to do it, besides its best to face your fears right?" he said trying to feel confident in himself.

"Well…if you're sure" Ray said and continued to look at the photos.

"Guess we'll see you later then" Nick said "but _please_ take your gun with you" he begged. Greg opened his mouth to protest but Nick cut him off "I know you hate it but it'll make you feel safer I promise you"

"Alright, aright" Greg said waving his hands "I'll take my gun, but if I accidently shoot myself in the leg it's your fault" he finished with a wink before heading out the room to collect him kit once more as well as, rather reluctantly, his gun. Nick was right Greg hated the thing but he had promised Nick and he wasn't one to break promises. Plus after his incident earlier today and past incident in the area he was heading to, he had to admit it wasn't such a bad idea.

Greg was rather happy to be back in his own car listening to his own music after having to suffer from Nick's earlier on. He switched the radio off as he pulled up outside the store and was happy to see Brass again who was interviewing a rather angry looking man who must have been the store's owner. Greg grabbed his kit from the trunk before heading over to the two men.

"Ah good" Brass mumbled, relieved he wouldn't have to put up with the frustrating man for much longer. "Mr Richards this is CSI Sanders, he's gunna help you get your alcohol back."

Greg smiled at the man politely, but the man just glared back at him "you better find!" he yelled "there was a grands worth of booze there!"

"Sir I assure I'll do my best to find out who took it." Greg said, trying to get passed the man's rudeness.

"Your _best_ isn't good enough" the man continued to yell "you _will_ find it" with that the man swivelled on his heels and stormed back into his store, leaving Greg and Brass giving each other a look of utter disbelief.

"Well I guess I better start knocking on doors" Brass sighed "see if anyone saw anything. You'll be ok for a bit?"

"Yeah trust me after what happened last time I was around here I thought it best I come armed" Greg explained patting his gun in its holster.

"Never thought I'd see the say Greg Sanders that crazy lab rat kid would carry a gun" Brass smiled "I'll catch up with you later then" he added before heading off across the street to the first house.

Greg smiled after him and shook his head before taking a deep breath and heading on down the alley. He came to a halt at the side door leading into the store and saw a disturbance in the dirt where the crates with the liquor in it must have been sat. There was a foot print next to it which Greg photographed and a hair which he bagged. He was walking up and down the alley looking around the edges with his torch when he heard a clatter.

Greg spun round too see a trash can in a group of about four rocking slightly from side to side. He edged cautiously closer.

"Hello?" he called uncertainly "is someone there?" he seemed to have forgotten the gun on his hip as he was so used to not having one there. There was some more clattering as the trash cans began to shudder once more. "Las Vegas police show yourself"" Greg said, it was the first time he'd ever had to assert himself like that.

He was now inches away and finally remembered to take out his gun, but he didn't have enough time to fully raise it as someone launched themselves from behind the cans and straight in top of Greg. He managed to wrestle the gun out of Greg's hands and pin him down to the ground. He then placed his other hand over Greg's mouth and held the gun against his temple.

"Try and call for help and you won't live to see the next day" the man growled.

It was only then that Greg realised from the light hanging above the door that he was looking into the eyes of Nigel Crane, Nicks ex stalker how'd tried to kill him. Greg couldn't do anything but stare up at the man and he'd began to shake uncontrollably with fear.

"It's ok Gregory" Cane began to whisper into his ear "I'm not going to kill you tonight, we have lots of fun ahead of us and you have lots of lessons to learn." Cane's evil smile after saying this made Greg shake even harder which he didn't think was possible. Then Crane suddenly came over really angry. "Lesson number one…" he said through gritted teeth, he had let go of Greg's mouth now and was instead pulling his head back by his hair. "…I'm Nicky's best friend, not you! He just has to realise that…"

"P-please" Greg whimpered "L-leave me alone, leave Nick alone!"

"I will leave him alone. As long as you do _exactly_ what I tell you…" Nigel's evil grin had returned. "Over the next few weeks you and I are going to have several…meetings shall we say. You're going to turn up to every single one or else Nicky's a goner, tell anyone about _any_ of this and Nicky's a goner."

"What do you mean meetings?" Greg staggered out, fighting his tears now. "W-why are you doing this"

"Because!" Crane started to yell again "because I want Nick to be my friend and those years I spent in prison meant we grew further apart and you two grew closer, but Nicks not going to see that he still wants to be my friend if you're in the way. I suffered so I could be Nicks friend, you didn't have to do that. So I think it's only fair that you do. So now I'm going to make you suffer."

Greg started to hyperventilate with panic and fear, he kicked his legs wildly trying to break free, but that only made Nigel push the gun barrel harder into his head.

"Stop it!" Crane ordered and Greg tried to relax himself. "Now you will attend these meetings of ours and you will not tell anyone about them. Otherwise the bullet goes through Nick's brain, you got that. If I can't have him nobody else can"

"Okay, okay" Greg replied pleading for this to end. "I'll come to the meetings, I won't tell anyone, just don't hurt Nick again"

"Good" Nigel whispered into Greg's ear before getting off him. Greg scrambled to his feet at once and had to lean up against the wall as he couldn't stand properly from his shaking legs. "Think I'll be taking this with me" he said giving Greg's gun a slight wave. "I know your number, I'll be in touch soon." The evil smirk appeared on his face once more. "Oh by the way. I took that alcohol. I was hoping they'd send you. What better place to bring you to make you feel fear, then a place you've felt it once before. I only hid it round the corner, you can got tell the shop owner you found it. Talk soon." and with that he headed off down the alley Greg's gun in his hand.

Greg stood up against the wall breathing heavily and trying to pull himself together, but this wasn't working so he ran out the alley as fast as he could wanting to get away from what had just happened. He wasn't looking where he was going and ended up bumping in Brass.

"Steady on Greg." Brass exclaimed as he moved Greg off him. "What's the rush?"

"Oh I…erm…" Greg spluttered not really knowing what to say. "I was just eager to tell you that I found the alcohol" he settled on "It's just round the corner. Robbers must have got lazy and left it behind."

"Oh, well I guess that makes our jobs a hell of a lot easier." Brass smiled "I'll go tell Mr Richards the good news"

"Ok. I'll see you later then. I'm going to head back to the lab." Greg said although Brass was looking at him oddly so he must have known something was up. But if he did he didn't say anything and said goodbye to Greg before heading into the store.

Greg ran to his car and it was only once inside there that he broke down. Tears just feel. He was so confused and so scared, he just didn't know what to do. If he went to these meetings Crane would make him "suffer" and God knows what that could mean, but then if he didn't go then he would kill Nick and Greg knew Nigel meant it, he knew what he was capable of. So really the only thing Greg thought he could do was met Crane when he requested. He had already lost Warrick and there was no way in hell he was going to lose Nick to.


	3. Chapter 3: You're A Pain

**A/N: Greg gets called to his first 'meeting' and Nick is determined to find out what's going on. Hope you like :)  
>Reviews are greatly welcomed as always xx<strong>

"_**Can we pretend that aeroplanes in the night sky are like shooting, 'cause I could really use a wish right now."**__  
>- B.O.B ft. Haley Williams, Aeroplanes<em>

**Chapter 3: You're a Pain **

Greg pulled up back at the crime lab, trying to compose himself. He looked at himself in the front mirror and saw his hair was tussled all over from where Crane had grabbed him. He had red rings around his eyes from crying and his skin looked really pale. Nick was definitely going know something was up. After trying to smooth his hair back into its original place Greg braved getting out of his car and heading into the lab. He was hoping to avoid Nick and the others, but naturally that wasn't going to happen.

"Hey Greg" Nick beamed as he spotted Greg putting his stuff away in the locker room, he had his back to Nick "Thank goodness you came back in one piece"

"Yeah I know right" Greg said trying to sound cheerful but probably failing, he turned to face Nick.

"Whoa" was all Nick could say as he took in Greg's solemn looking features. "Man, are you feeling ok? You look like hell"

"Oh gee thanks Nick" Greg smiled, trying to show he was alright even though he wasn't.

"No seriously." Nick said looking at Greg closer "…have you been crying?"

"What? No?" Greg lied "to be honest I think I'm coming down with the flu or something"

"Oh…ok" Nick said giving Greg a suspicious look, not totally convinced. "But if something was up you'd tell me right?"

"Yeah of course" Greg smiled; he was beginning to feel guilty for lying to Nick. "Oh I found that alcohol by the way so I guess I can come work with you again" he glanced down at his watch "but I believe my shift ended a half hour ago, so I'm going to head home if that's ok"

"Ok" Nick said still apprehensive "I'll see you tomorrow then" Greg gave Nick a weak smile goodbye but then fell back into his rather scared looking expression as he left the room.

Nick looked after him as Greg left not sure what to do. Something was obviously making Greg really upset and there was no way he was talking. That made Nick upset because he thought he and Greg were best friends and could trust each other with anything. _What could be so bad that he couldn't tell me about it?_ Nick thought. He had to get to the bottom of this, he didn't like the idea that Greg may be going through something traumatic alone. He sighed and decided he'd just have to keep bugging Greg until he'd spill what was really going on.

Once back in his apartment Greg went straight into his bedroom and buried his head into the pillows, tears silently falling. He hadn't eaten anything since this morning and it was now 11pm and he didn't feel much like doing anything except sleeping. However sleeping was a lot harder than he thought because all he could think about was these "meetings" and how Crane was going to make him "suffer". Greg was so scared and the worst thing was he couldn't tell anyone, he'd never felt so alone. He couldn't tell anyone that he was going to be in a lot of pain by the sounds of, or even die. He couldn't tell Nick that he ex stalker was back on the scene and he could easily be in danger to.

The next day Greg opened his eyes groggily after what he was sure was only a few hours' sleep. He checked his clock. 11 AM. At least he had had more rest then he'd thought and he intended to stay in bed all day as he didn't start work til later that night. Plus being in his on home, in his own bed made Greg feel a lot safer, if he went out Crane could jump out on him unexpected again and he didn't want to see anyone because it was obvious he was in a mess. Once again Greg couldn't be bothered to eat even though his stomach was now telling him to, but he wasn't sure he could hold anything down now from worry.

It was an hour later when Greg's phone began to vibrate on his bedside table. He sat up right rubbing his eyes and answered it.

"Hello?" Greg asked cautiously, his voice sounding rather hoarse.

"Gregory" Came Crane's over gleeful voice. "you have your first appointment today" he paused to wait for Greg's response, but he didn't say anything as the fear began to course through his body once more and he began to shake. "Meet me at the abandoned casino in half an hour; you know the one I mean?"

"Yes" was all Greg could whisper.

"Good. And remember try anything and_ our_ dear friend Nick will be spending his last few moments on this planet in agony." With that Nigel hung up the phone.

Greg let his mobile slip from his hand, he wanted to cry again. He pulled himself from his bed, getting a quick shower and pulling on some fresh clothes. He went down to his car and drove in silence up to the casino.

It was a really daunting looking place that towered over every other building surrounding it. All the windows had been boarded up and the front doors chained shut. God only knew what Greg would have to face in there, or if he would even come out. He wandered cautiously around the side of the building and found a side exit. It was already slightly open. Crane must already be inside. Greg gave a deep ragged breath before reaching out a shaking hand and pushing to door open.

Greg barely had enough time to take in the buildings' interior as a blind fold was forced over his eyes.

"Walk on now Gregory. I'll guide you" Crane instructed "you can trust me". Greg could imagine Cranes trademark evil smirk returning to his face.

Nigel pulled Greg along by his hair and slammed him up against what must have been a wall. Greg heard a small clinking sound and the felt something cold and metal being locked tightly onto his wrist so he couldn't break free. It kept his right arm suspended in the air. The blindfold was ripped from his eyes. Greg had started to breathe very oddly from his fear which Crane completely ignored.

"Today's session we shall be working on…" Greg let out a startled cry as Crane's fist made contact with stomach "…pain" Crane cackled. "You see when I was in prison, the other guys weren't very nice to me" another punch causing Greg to cry out in pain again. "But I soldiered on because I knew I was going through it all for Nick. They used to hit me…" another agonising blow to Greg's chest "…and kick me" this time a harder force and Greg cried from pain even louder. It was a miracle nobody heard him.

"I-I-m sorry" Greg spluttered. He had become winded from the blows and couldn't really breathe properly. "I'm s-sorry you had to go through that".

"Sorry won't make the pain go away Gregory!" Crane yelled with another hit directly into Greg's chest. "Man up will ya" he taunted "I went through this pain nearly every day when I was behind bars, and I went through it all for Nick, and now you're doing the same see" another punch.

"Stop it!" Greg shouted totally losing it now. "What is the point? Nick doesn't even know you're out. So what is the point in doing this? Besides even if he did what the hell would possess you to think that he would want to be friends with you after everything you did to him? He'd be happier if you were dead."

This earned Greg three extremely harsh hits in a row, each followed by an even harsher excruciating scream of pain. Greg couldn't breathe properly at all now and was fighting consciousness as the corners of his vision began to go black.

"How _dare_ you" Crane spat. Then he brushed himself down with his hands trying to make himself look more dignified. "I think you should have learnt lesson number two by now" he said calmly as possible "but…just to be sure" and it was with that last hard hit Greg toppled over the edge and into the darkness as any thread of his consciousness was lost.

"Until next time Gregory" Crane whispered into the young man's ear, before taking out the key and unlocking the chain Greg was attached to, watching him fall to the floor. He gave an evil chuckle, pleased with his work. Then he shoved his hands into his pockets and walked out of the building, leaving Greg alone and vulnerable on the ground.

Greg woke up with a start. He immediately wrapped his arms around his stomach, it still hurt awfully. He gently lifted his shirt to see his chest had just become a sea of blue and purple bruises. He prodded one gently and let out a small yelp from the pain. He dragged himself to his feet and looked at his watch, keeping one arm wrapped around his waist.

"Oh damn!" He exclaimed to himself. He'd been out for a few hours now and his shift started 20 minutes ago.

Greg made a dash for his car but kept wincing as it still hurt pretty badly to move. He jumped in and drove to the lab as quickly as possible. He ran in as soon as he got there hoping it would go unnoticed by Catherine the he was an hour late. He still kept one arm round his stomach and slowed down to a walk as he entered the break room where Nick and Sara where chatting and drinking coffee.

"Look who finally showed up" Nick smiled over at him, but this then changed to a suspicious look about how Greg was clutching his chest.

"Boy, Nick was right Greg, you do look awful" Sara chimed in "you _must _be coming down with something. How are you feeling?"

Greg didn't know really how to answer that question since the true answer was 'scared because Nicks ex- stalker is torturing me but I shouldn't really say that because now Nick will get killed and I'm in completely agony because I've been punched and kicked repeatedly in the stomach for what seemed at least 100 times.' Luckily Greg found he didn't actually have to finish the question as Sara's pager went off.

"Oh that's Catherine" She explained "Yes we got match" she smiled reading the screen "catch you guys later" and with that she left Nick and Greg alone in the room.

Greg went over to make himself a coffee and he could feel Nick's suspicious eyes burning into his skin.

"So how's the robbery going? Greg asked eventually, taking a sip of his coffee and sitting down next to Nick. He hoped his small wince from this action had gone unnoticed.

"Pretty good actually" Nick said happily "the blood drop came back to an ex con who'd done time for burglary before and the finger prints to his son. Robbery isn't exactly the father son quality time other people would think of." he said before putting down his coffee and standing up "actually we went round to their home and found a tonne of stolen stuff that needs processing. Wanna come give me a hand?"

"Yeah sure" Greg smiled at Nick before standing up to; he accidently knocked his coffee mug onto the floor in the process. He bent down to pick it up, "Aah" he hissed in pain and wrapped his arms around himself once more. _Note to self_ Greg thought _bending down with extremely bruised stomach, not a good idea. _

"Hey are you ok" Nick asked concernedly, walking over to Greg and putting a hand on his back. "What was that about?"

"Oh…its nothing" Greg started to lie "Just, erm…hunger pains. Like I said I haven't been feeling to good so I haven't eaten since yesterday morning." That wasn't far from the truth.

"Well that certainly isn't going to make you feel better!" Nick told him. "Here take this" he offered Greg an apple from table.

"Oh ok thanks" Greg said weakly. "You go ahead and get started while I eat this."

"Well…ok..." Nick said a bit apprehensively. "But you have to promise to eat every bite" he said pointing to the apple.

"I will" Greg said with a weak smile.

Nick left the room and once making sure he was out of sight Greg threw the apple in the trash can, not really in the mood to eat. He slumped back into the chair with another hiss of pain and buried his head into his hands.


	4. Chapter 4: What Happened To Us?

**A/N: Another chapter, rather dark so WARNING: Talk of suicide in this chapter. Greg loved these memories, but now they just made him feel worse.  
>Do review :) xx<strong>

"_**Let's try to take it back before it all went wrong. There was a time that we'd stay up all night, best friend's yeh talking till the daylight."  
><strong>__- The Script, Before The Worst_

**Chapter 4: What Happened To Us?**

It was the next day and Nick was stood at the light table absent mindedly staring into the distance. He couldn't stop thinking about Greg and what could possibly be wrong. It was really eating away at him now; whereas it was apparent to him Greg hadn't been eating at all. Nick didn't believe that Greg was simply ill; surely he would have just called in sick and taken the day off if that were the case. He had to get to the bottom of this and do something before Greg hurt himself. Nick could tell Greg had been in a lot of pain. He'd been acting strange ever since his fall. Maybe that's what had hurt him.

It was about half an hour later when Greg managed to drag himself from the break room where he'd been hiding all morning and make his way down to the light table as casually as possible. Nick almost immediately gave Greg a funny look from the way he still had one arm wrapped around his chest.

"So, where do you want me to start?" Greg asked happily, but Nick could tell this was just an act.

"Erm, you can do that pile of jewellery over there for me" he said trying to sound casual as possible.

Nick watched Greg walk over to the pile and pull on some gloves to get started. The pair worked in silence for a while until Nick decided he best make a move.

"So you feeling better now right?" he asked, in a way that sounded like he was just trying to start a normal conversation.

"Erm… yeah I guess so" Greg said quietly, but he didn't take his eyes off the pile of jewellery in front of him.

"What did you have to eat today?" Nick asked becoming more serious now.

"Erm…well…." Greg hung his head to floor, he couldn't bring himself to look at Nick, he hated how concerned he was making Nick feel "I sort of…haven't" the look of sheer worry Nick gave him made Greg feel a lot worse.

"Ok Greg listen…" Nick started, he was just going to ask Greg out right what was going on, but then Greg's phone rang. Nick couldn't help but noticed the rather scared look Greg gave as he pulled the phone out of his pocket and answered it.

"Sanders" Greg said quietly and then went silent while he listened to who was talking to him. Nick continued to look like he was doing his work but was actually listening to see if he could hear anything useful.

"W-what?" Greg said slightly panicked, but then steadied himself as he remembered Nick's presence in the room. "Now? I can't now…" but Greg trailed off and Nick could hear the person on the phones voice began to rise slightly "ok, I'll be there" Greg hung up the phone and gave a shaky sigh. "I have to go" he told Nick in his continually quiet voice.

"Why? What was the call about?" Nick asked, he knew he was pushing it now.

"It was…my doctor" Greg lied "I told him how I haven't been feeling good and he subscribed me some meds, he wants me to go pick them up now" Greg could tell from Nicks expression that he did not believe him at all.

"Well if you don't feel well, why don't you just stay off work?" Nick questioned, he didn't mean to make it seem like he was interrogating Greg like one of his suspects, but it was the only way he'd ever find out.

"Oh, no I don't wanna do that, it's not that bad" Greg replied.

Nick decided he wasn't getting very far. He had to try something else "Do you want me to come with you?"

"No!" Greg exclaimed almost immediately "I mean…" he gave a deep sigh "Look Nick, I'm fine, honestly…I don't need a baby sitter" he said with a crooked smile. "I'll see you later" and he left before Nick could even say another word.

Nick put his elbows on the table a buried his head in his hands "What's going on Greggo" he mumbled to himself.

Meanwhile, Greg was making his second terrifying journey to the abandoned casino. All kinds of horrible thoughts were running through his head. What if the torture kept getting worse until his heart stopped beating. What if he was doing this for no good reason and Crane was just going to hurt Nick again anyway. Too many what ifs and nearly all with negative outcomes.

Once again on arrival, Greg slipped through the side door of the building and his body began to shake with fear right on queue. In the middle of the room he saw Crane stood with his hands behind his back next to a chair with some ropes attached to it.

"Come along now Gregory" Crane said beckoning Greg forward with his finger "don't be shy now"

Greg edged his way closer but had the overwhelming urge to just turn and run as fast as he could and not look back, but when he was close enough Nigel grabbed him tightly by the arm and shoved him roughly down causing him to give a slight yelp from the bruises on his chest.

"Aww I'm sorry does it still hurt?" Nigel mocked as he took a rope and tied it so tightly around Greg's wrist to the chair that his blood couldn't circulate properly, Crane did the same to Greg's other wrist "hope you're sitting comfortably" he smiled, it made Greg sick to his stomach.

"Now for today's lesson I thought we'd do a bit of a show and tell" Nigel explained.

He presented Greg with a big cardboard box and then tipped the contents out onto the floor. Hundreds of photos and drawings of Nick fell out and scattered across the ground. Some were pictures Crane had taken of Nick just working or walking down the street. Some of them were photos of Nick and his family he'd taken from his house and some were disturbingly detailed sketches.

"Do you like my collection? Nicky doesn't even know I have it, I hope to share it with him one day, but it's still a working progress." Nigel said happily.

"You're sick!" Greg yelled, frustration getting the better of him. "You're a sick, twisted, evil man. What you're doing to Nick is damn right disgusting and what you're doing to me is insane. Get this ridiculous image out of your head that you're going to get Nick to yourself and he'll be your friend because that will _never_ happen"

However Greg's words were powerless as Nigel ignored him and began to kick the pictures around on the floor. A photo flipped over and Crane went down to pick it up. He studied it with a frown and then held it up for Greg too see.

"When was this?" Nigel asked him.

Greg studied the picture. It was of Nick, Warrick and himself, one that Catherine had took. Greg was stood in the middle with his arm around Warrick to his left, and his other around Nick to his right. Nick and Warrick were both doing the two finger bunny ears behind Greg's head. They were laughing and smiling. Greg hadn't seen that picture in years. It filled him with happiness because the three of them were together and didn't have a care in the world, but then it brought on upset as Warrick was no longer here and they're lives had now fallen apart.

"It was my twenty fifth birthday" Greg explained quietly "we went out for drinks at this bar." It was one of Greg's happiest memories with the team.

"Aww how cute" Nigel sighed sarcastically looking at the picture once again. He took a pen knife out of his pocket and scratched away Greg and Warrick's faces before throwing it back down on the floor. "I'm Nicks only friend" Greg just heard him mumble under his breath. He then picked up another photo.

"This one?" he asked Greg casually.

"The super bowl" Greg said thinking back. This time it was just Nick and Greg in the picture. They were both wearing there football jerseys with a bottle of beer in their hands. Nick had his arm around Greg's waist and Greg was giving the peace sign, again they looked smiley and happy. Seeing that photo again made Greg realise how close he and Nick were. Nick was his best friend and he always would be, no matter what Crane said. However at the moment Greg and Nick had never felt so far apart.

"Yeah just needs a bit of adjustment." Crane said he stuck his tongue out to one side as he again concentrated on scratching Greg's face out of the picture. "In fact, here you can take it" he said walking over to Greg and shoving the photo in his coat pocket. "Any way that ends this session, do feel free to stick around and look at the rest of the collection" Crane said indicating to the images on the ground.

He took his pen knife and started cutting away at the rope that bound Greg's wrists. Greg wondered for a moment if Crane was going to stop before he reached his skin, he sighed in relief when he did. However it wouldn't have made much of a difference anyway because his wrists were now red raw from where the rope had been digging into his skin, and was even bleeding in some worrying places. Greg flexed his fingers as the blood began to circulate properly around his hands again.

Then Greg ran from the building as fast as he could only to hear Crane shout "be in touch soon" before he slammed the door shut behind him.

It had been too long and Nick would begin to wonder where Greg was. Greg hurried to his car and drove back to the lab as fast as possible. Again he slowed as he saw Nick was still processing stuff at the light table. Greg pulled the sleeves down on his jacket to try and hide his blood red wrists.

"Oh there you are" Nick smiled up at him when Greg came to lean in the door way. Nick had decided to give up trying to pressure Greg to tell him what was going on and hoped he would eventually tell him on his own accord. "Think you could actually give me a hand now?" Nick asked mockingly, Greg gave a light laugh and rolled his eyes.

"Mmm I'll think about it, let me just go get my lab coat" With that Greg spun round and as he left the room Nick noticed something fall from Greg's jacket pocket and flutter onto the floor.

Nick went over to pick it up and was surprised to find it was the picture of him and Greg at the super bowl a few years ago. Nick smiled as he remembered how much fun he'd had that day, it was one of his favourite memories with Greg, but then he frowned as he realised someone had attempted to scratch Greg's face out of the picture. _Why would he do that?_ Nick thought curiously. Just then Greg came back into the room; he panicked slightly when he saw Nick looking at the photo.

"Hey what's with this?" Nick said showing the photo to Greg.

"That… it's nothing" Greg said lurching forward and trying to snatch the picture from Nick's hand, but then Nick grabbed hold of Greg's arm and looked wide eyed in horror.

"What's with that?" Nick exclaimed mortified at the state of Greg's bleeding wrist. "Greg…did you try and…" but he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. He was too shocked and confused.

Then Greg got really angry all of a sudden "You think I tried to kill myself don't you!" he yelled ripping his arm from Nicks grasp "How could you even think that!" he looked at Nick in disbelief before storming out of the room.

"Greg wait!" Nick called after him, but it was no use.

Nick sank to the floor and stared into the distance. _Kill himself_ Nick kept thinking _he tried to kill himself…_ That would explain the not eating, the photo, Greg must have this sudden hatred of himself, but why? Greg was the nicest, happiest guy Nick had ever met, his best friend. What could possibly have driven him to do something like that? _Why doesn't he feel like he could just talk to me_ Nick thought desperately. He loved Greg like his little brother, he had to keep him safe. Nick was so scared and worried for Greg and what he might do, he had to go find him, couldn't let him out of his sight.

Meanwhile, Crane sat watching the surveillance footage as Nick broke down. "Oh how wrong you are my dear friend. Gregory didn't try to kill himself…I might do that for him. But as long as he plays the game you'll be safe, and I'll make you see, you can't be without me".


	5. Chapter 5: Strong Forces

**A/N: Here we go again! Nick thinks he's finally making progress with Greg, but then gets a nasty shock at a crime scene.  
>Thank you so much for all the reviews so far do keep them coming :) x <strong>

"_**I can't wake up, wake me up inside. Save me, Call my name and save me from the dark."**__  
>- Evanescence, Bring Me To Life<em>

**Chapter 5: Strong Forces **

Catherine was on her way to the AV lab when she spotted Nick slumped up against the wall on the floor of the light table room. She poked her head through the door way so as not to startle him.

"Hey I've been looking for you…" she said meekly. Nick looked up to acknowledge her presence and then went back to staring, unblinking at the wall opposite. "Nicky what's up?" she asked, entering the room and sitting down next to him, putting a comforting hand on his leg.

"It's Greg, I think we just had a fight…" he almost mumbled.

"No way" Catherine said in mock disbelief "you too? I thought you were attached at the hip" she smiled.

"So did I" Nick sighed "but something's wrong with Greg and he's not telling me what…has he said anything to you?"

"No" Catherine said shaking her head "what makes you think something's wrong with him?"

Nick wasn't sure what to say about this, Greg would probably get even madder if he knew Nick had told Catherine what he thought was going on, and then who knows what he'd do to himself. Plus he didn't think it would be right to worry Catherine, she had very maternal instincts towards Greg and she'd get really upset.

"Well he's just been acting really…stressed" Nick decided on, this was the way to cause least concern.

"Oh well then I may have the perfect proposition for you two" she smiled "you see there's a sort of crime convention in LA next week and we need to send two Las Vegas representatives, I mean you'd have to go to lectures and stuff but other than that it would be a great chance for you and Greg to just hang out and talk" Catherine explained "you interested?"

"Yeah that sounds perfect" Nick said eagerly "thanks Cath, I'll go find Greg now" he said finally getting up and then helping Catherine to her feet too.

Nick looked in nearly every room before he found Greg in Grissoms old office. He was sat in a chair opposite the desk. There was a mirror on the wall opposite and he was just examining his gaunt looking expression. He was now so incredibly pale and thin. He thought back to when he was once a care free hell raiser around the lab who people couldn't help but like, and know how gloomy he had become, living his life in constant fear. He saw Nick slip into the room behind him in the mirror.

"If he were here, he'd know what to do" Greg said quietly, he was of course referring to Grissom "he'd give me some advice."

"Well…you could always try asking me?" Nick said gently, he went over and sat in the chair next to Greg.

"I can't" Greg said. Then he turned to face Nick, placing a gentle hand on Nick's knee and looking him in the eyes "but Nick I promise you…" he started seriously "I swear down, that I am not trying to kill myself and if you really are my best friend, then you'll believe me"

"I do, I do believe you," Nick replied sincerely "but the fall, the not eating, and your wrists…"

"I want to tell you" Greg started but then his voice began to crack and his tears began to flow "I want to tell you so badly but I can't" as Greg broke down Nick pulled him forward into a tight embrace.

"Ok, ok, you tell me when you're ready" Nick said soothingly "hey Catherine's chosen us to go to LA for this crime convention thing, we should go, it'll help you get away from it all and we can just hang out, sound good?"

Greg nodded his head and then pulled away Nick, sniffling and wiping his eyes "Yeah, sounds good" he smiled. This could be his chance. He could escape for a while and get Nick far enough away from Crane so he couldn't hurt him.

The thought was shattered when Greg's phone started to ring from his coat pocket.

"No! Not again I've just…" Greg began to panic, but then remembered Nick and quickly answered his phone. Nick was looking at him with a frightened expression "He-hello" his voice quavered.

"Gregory…" Came Crane's lazy tones "sorry to have to do this but it seems were going to have to meet again today, I think you know where to go by now…" he hung up.

"My doctor" Greg lied to Nick with a sigh "I left my wallet behind, I sure as hell can't go to LA without that" he got up to leave and was at the door but then turned back to Nick "you wanna grab a Pizza or something when I get back?" he offered, just so Nick wouldn't worry about his eating anymore.

"Yeah sure" Nick smiled feeling Greg was making progress already, but Nick still had an overwhelming feeling of concern lingering over him.

Greg drove silent as usual up to the casino and entered through the usual side door, for once he appeared to have arrived before Crane.

He took this opportunity to properly explore the place that had become an area of known torture for him. He was a CSI after all; searching places was what he did best.

It was a large room. Carpet had been stripped from the floor and bits of old wallpaper were hanging off the wall. There was a sheet covering some objects, which when Greg removed turned out to be some old slot machines. There were the remains of a bar and old roulette wheel that Greg spun absent mindedly, he felt like he was playing roulette with his life at the moment.

Then Greg came across a large metal door, the casinos old vault where all the money used to be stored. It was at least half a metre thick and was extremely heavy looking. Greg went round to look inside, totally empty now, just dust and cobwebs everywhere.

Suddenly there was a familiar shove into his back and Greg stumbled to the floor and into the vault. Before he could even register what was going on, he heard a wailing screech as the huge metal door closed behind him, trapping Greg inside the dark and dingy vault. He scrambled to his feet and started banging loud and hard on the door.

"Let me out!" he cried "help!" but Greg didn't know why he bothered, no one would hear him, and he knew damn well who'd pushed him in hear in the first place "Nigel please stop this!" he cried, but there was no response.

A light flickered on over Greg's head, but it was only very dim. A piece of paper slid out from under the door and Greg picked it up and squinted his eyes to read it:

_When things don't go the way you expect them to it is always an awful shock. You shouldn't get in the way of things that are meant to be, you become a distraction and a burden. This may be your last lesson, but at least they can't say you didn't go out with a bang._

_N. Crane _

Greg started to panic "Oh my god" he mumbled "oh my god" he started banging on the door again. Praying for another way out but there was nothing. _Bang?_ Greg thought desperately covering his face with his hands, he couldn't think straight, he'd never been so petrified as his whole body began to quack harder than ever before, he could barely stand _Go out with a bang, what bang?_

Greg's thoughts were soon answered as he heard a low rumble growing louder and closer, the room began to shake and all of a sudden the door burst open. Greg was blown back by some strong force, smacking his head hard against the floor, he was knocked unconscious almost instantly. Dust and rubble fell all around him, and then a piece of the wall came crashing down.

….

Nick had finally managed to process all of the stolen goods he had found with a bit of Ray's help. They now had enough evidence to convict the son and father burglary team. He was hoping for a break but naturally that wasn't going to happen, this was Vegas after all, the city that never sleeps.

"Hey Nick" Sara called after him from down the hallway as she caught up to him. "Someone just reported an explosion, Catherine asked for you to go check it out" she explained handing over a sheet of paper with all the information. "Place has been empty for months apparently, so I don't think anyone was hurt."

"Alright thanks Sara" Nick replied, before going to collect his kit.

When Nick pulled up at the address he saw a crowd of people gathered behind the tape outside the newly hollow building. There was glass all over the streets from where windows had smashed and a door which had been blown off its hinges. Several officers were fighting to keep people behind the tape. Nick slipped underneath it and found captain Brass talking to someone from bomb squad.

"Nobody was hurt out on the street" Brass informed Nick "and we haven't found anyone inside." Nick nodded, relieved by this thought.

"It's safe to go in now" the member of bomb squad told Nick and led him inside. "The blast started in the centre of this room and then escalated outwards. We found the trigger to be the roulette wheel.

"Roulette wheel?" Nick repeated confused.

"Yeah this place used to be a small scale casino. There are the remains of the wheel everywhere. Someone must have spun it and this set of a timing device, meaning the bomb went off a set period of time later."

"I know playing roulette sometimes brought you bad luck but geez" Nick mumbled. "Why would anyone bother to blow this place up?"

"I don't know" The squad member shrugged "maybe just to scare people, besides figuring that outs _your_ job." He pointed out, before leaving Nick to get on with it.

The room was a mist of dust and there were chunks of celling and wall everywhere. Nick sighed, there was no way he could look round all this by himself, where was Greg when he needed him.

Then Nick noticed the big metal door, which looked like it had been forced open by the blast as there was a massive dent in it. _Maybe there was still some money being kept here and someone wanted it?_ Nick theorized _wanted it badly enough they nearly blew the whole place down._ He stepped over the bits of debris and round the door. At first it just appeared to be in the same mess as the rest of the building but then Nick spotted something out the corner of his eye.

There was a something pale and thin twitching from underneath a piece of fallen wall, scraping at the ground. Nick moved closer.

"Help" Nick swore he heard someone croak. "Somebody please help me".

_It's an arm_ Nick realised suddenly and ran forward to the person trapped underneath. "Hey can you hear me?" he asked anxiously "don't worry I'm gunna get you out, you're going to be safe." He didn't have time to call for help and was attempting to move the debris off the trapped person himself.

"Nick" came the weak voice again. Nick froze at the sound of his name. That voice, he knew that voice… "Nick is that you?"

"Greg?" Nick whispered. "Greg! Yeah it's me; hang on buddy I'm going to get you out of here"

Nick ran outside and found Brass and two officers. "Please come quick, Greg's trapped in there!" he exclaimed.

"Greg?" Brass said confused "what the hell is Greg doing in there?"

"I don't know just please hurry!" Nick only just finished his sentence before running back into the building, followed by two officers.

"Nick!" he heard Greg's voice, a bit louder this time. "Nick don't leave me."

"I'm not, I'm not I'm right here" Nick assured him as he and the officers began to move rocks out of the way. "Just hang on"

"Can't…" Greg whispered with his last ounce of strength "can't…" and then he fell into that too much of a familiar darkness once more.

"Greg no!" Nick cried, just as they managed to reach him, he was statue still with his eyes closed.

Nick and the officers pulled Greg out and laid him gently on the floor. "Greg y-you can't do this" Nick said frantically "please just open your eyes."


	6. Chapter 6: You Scared Me

**A/N: This chapter is mostly talking, I promise to make the nest one more gripping! Nick is so confused and feeling helpless, he just wants to know what's going on.  
>Reviews are much loved :) xx<strong>

"_**Ricochet, you take your aim. Fire away, fire away. You shoot me down, but I won't fall, I am titanium."**__  
>- David Guetta ft. Sia, Titanium<em>

**Chapter 6: You Scared Me**

Greg started coughing violently, his body jerking all over. He then went still again and groaned as he gently opened his eyes. Nick pulled Greg up into his chest and hugged him tight.

"Hey what did I say about not giving me a heart attack" Nick laughed lightly to try and hide the fear in his eyes, Greg hugged him back.

"I know I'm sorry" Greg mumbled "but you should know by now that surviving explosions is my super power" he smiled weakly, but then closed his eyes again.

"Hey Greg come on" Nick said shaking him slightly "there's an ambulance on the way"

"Sorry, I'm just tired. Nearly being blown to pieces really takes it out of you. I should know I've done it two or three times before, it's becoming my favourite pass time" Greg said quietly. Nick couldn't help but laugh; it was typical of Greg use such humour in a horrible situation. "I don't need to go to the hospital"

"Yes, you do" Nick said firmly "I made the mistake of not taking you last time"

"Alright worry guts, you sound like my mom, except with the stupid accent" Greg mocked.

"Hey! My accent is not stupid" Nick protested "but if you stay awake I promise to never make you listen to my music ever again"

"Ha, now that's something definitely worth fighting for…" Greg smiled but then exhaustion got the better of him and he went limp once more.

"Greg?" Nick said anxiously but then turned round slightly when someone put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"We're the medics" the woman said "is it ok if we take him?"

At first Nick was a hesitant about letting Greg out of his sight again, because recently whenever he did something bad happened to Greg. But these people where here to help him not harm him. Nick nodded his head and handed Greg over to the woman and her colleagues. They checked Greg over before placing him onto a stretcher and taking him away to the ambulance.

"Are you coming?" the woman asked Nick kindly, she didn't sound very worried, so Nick took this as a good sign. Nick nodded again and followed the woman onto the ambulance, he sat by Greg and watched his now worryingly thin frame bob up and down "he's breathing totally normal" the medic reassured Nick "A few cuts and scrapes but they can easily be cleaned up. I think it's just mostly shock and exhaustion."

Once they reached the hospital Greg was taken into a private room to be checked over by the doctors leaving Nick pacing the corridor outside, he hated not knowing what was going on. A doctor emerged a few moments later.

"He's going to be fine" the doctor told Nick. Nick gave a sigh of relief, he'd never felt so relived about anything. "He's just really exhausted." The doctor continued. "It's a miracle nothing was broken or crushed; the debris must have formed like a perfect roof over the top of him. However that makes the next thing I'm about to tell you very odd" Nick gave the doctor a look of pure bemusement. "You see the stomach and chest area is just covered in bruises, but there a few days old now, so they weren't caused by the explosion. Mr Sanders should really have come to see someone about it. Did you know of any of this damage?"

Nick couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had to see it for himself. He ran passed the doctor and into the room where Greg was currently sleeping. He looked very normal and peaceful until Nick moved closer and saw the horrific mess of bruises that dominated Greg's front. He clapped a hand over his mouth, why hadn't Greg said anything, been in all this pain and not told anyone…or maybe he had.

"A few days ago Greg went down to pick something off the floor and gave this painful yelp, he wrapped his arms around himself, and he said it was just hunger pangs, and I just believed him because he has lost a lot of weight recently, but I should have known they can't get that bad" Nick explained to the doctor who was stood behind him. He felt so guilty for not realising sooner, Greg has been in so much pain and he hadn't done anything to help.

"Do you know why Mr Sanders might lie to you?" the doctor asked attentively "I mean could he be in an abusive relationship, have an eating disorder maybe causing him to hit himself in that area?"

Nick considered these possibilities for a few moments. "He's not in a relationship, I'd defiantly know about that, and I don't think he has an eating disorder it's just that he's been really stressed and busy at work lately." He concluded, although he wasn't one hundred per cent confident in it.

"Ok well, he's free to go once he wakes up, just let him rest for now ok" the doctor said patting Nicks shoulder.

"Ok thanks doc" Nick replied and went to sit next to Greg, he wanted to be there when he woke up. He suddenly realised Catherine would be wondering why he hadn't reported back yet so decided he should give her a call.

"Nick? Where are you?" Catherine asked as soon as she answered the phone.

"I'm at the hospital…with Greg" he replied.

"What why?" Catherine asked, her voice becoming panicked.

"I found him at my crime scene amongst the debris, but don't worry the doctor said he's going to be completely fine. He's a sleep now and he can go when he wakes up."

"Oh, alright ok" Catherine said but she still sounded worried. "I'll send Ray over to look over the crime scene now, you stay with Greg ok?"

"Don't worry I'm not going anywhere" Nick reassured her before hanging up the phone and going back to watching Greg's chest bob lightly up and down.

Nick cringed a few times as it looked breathing would be quite a painful process if you were as badly bruised as that, but Greg didn't seemed bothered by it and kept on sleeping. _How did they get there?_ He thought _and what was he doing in that building?_ Nick soon realised he was rather exhausted himself and thought he best get some rest as well.

Nick's eyes shot open a couple of hours later when he heard Greg calling for him. Greg was thrashing about in the bed and had his eyes screwed shut "Nick!" he mumbled "Nick! No stop it!"

Nick went over to Greg's side and gave him a light shake "Greg, hey its ok your just having a bad dream, wake up"

Greg shot up and was breathing heavily. He looked at Nick with wide eyes and then launched himself onto him in a tight embrace; Nick was surprised such strength could come from Greg. "You're ok" Greg whispered "thank God you're ok, I thought you were hurt. You scared me".

"Yeah well now you know how I feel" Nick said stroking Greg's hair gently "but I'm fine you were just dreaming."

But only Greg knew how close his dream was to becoming true. He dreamt Crane had found out he had told Nick everything and had hunted Nick down and Greg walked in on him beating Nick to death. This only spurred Greg to keep his mouth shut further because he most certainly did not want his nightmare to become true. Greg pulled away from Nick and sat looking lost.

"Greg…it's been bugging me, what the hell were you doing in that building in the first place?" Nick asked him suddenly.

"Well I was walking past and I saw the side door was open, so I got curious and just went inside to look around. I know it was stupid but I didn't think it would turn out to be that dangerous" Greg replied, it was the quickest he'd ever had to come up with a lie.

"Right" Nick thought about this for a few moments "the roulette wheel…" he began cautiously… "Did you spin it?"

"Yeah I did" Greg answered not really understanding the relevance of the question at first, but then it clicked. "Oh my God that triggered the bomb or whatever didn't it. Urgh I am such an idiot!" he sat back and banged his head on the back rest a few times in frustration. "I could have killed someone!"

"But you didn't" Nick comforted him "and you couldn't have known. You just have to be more careful with these things. "

"I guess your next question is how did these get here?" Greg said indicating to the bruises.

"Yes I would like to know about that. Greg the doctor thinks it's because you've got an eating disorder or something like that. I mean you have lost loads of weight recently."

"Good, I was getting on the chubby side anyway" Greg mumbled, but then regretted it as this was not the way to make Nick stop worrying he had an eating disorder. "Nick I'm kidding"

"It's not something to kid about Greg" Nick exclaimed "I'm worried about you; I'll always worry about you"

"And I'm grateful for everything…" Greg said placing his hand gently on top of Nick's "…you know you're a big brother to me. But I don't want to be the reason your hair falls out 'cause your stressing over me" he smiled and Nick couldn't help but smile back. "I do not have an eating disorder. Once were in LA next week I'll tell you everything I promise. I just don't feel comfortable doing it here"

"You still want to go to LA? Are you sure?" Nick asked attentively.

"Yes I am sure, trust me I need it" Greg replied. He stretched causing Nick to notice how prominent his spine and shoulders where as well as he ribs, it made Nick cringe "so can I go now then?" Greg asked him hopefully.

"Oh, erm yeah we'll just have to sign you out" Nick said snapping himself out of it.

"Good, although I would appreciate having my shirt back." Greg said when he spotted Nick leaning on it.

Nick threw it over to him and then looked away whilst he put it on. He couldn't bear to see Greg move his thin and battered body like that.

"Ok let's get the hell out of here" Greg said jumping out of the bed and heading to the front desk to sigh out, Nick following him. "I could actually really do with that Pizza" he smiled as he and Nick began to walk down the street.

"I should imagine so" Nick replied, giving Greg a lopsided smile and nudging his shoulder gently. "Come on I know a place nearby"

A few minutes later and Nick's phone beeped as he received a message. He pulled the phone out of his pocket and read the message; it had come from an unknown number:

_Now that that's taken care of, we can be reunited again soon. I look forward to it._

"What is it?" Greg asked, noticing Nicks look of pure confusion.

"Oh nothing, I think someone's just got the wrong number that's all" Nick said dismissively and the pair continued to walk.

Meanwhile back in his hide out, Crane threw his phone down on the sofa and lent forward picking up the latest sketch he had drawn, pleased with his work. "I can't wait to show you this one Nicky. I call it, _solving the problem." _With that he placed the picture down on the table. The picture of Greg he'd drawn lying in his own pool of blood, rocks everywhere with the words _Rest In Pain_ written across the top.


	7. Chapter 7: I Thought Wrong

**A/N: Hey guys hope your well! Nick and Greg set off for LA and Greg couldn't be happier to get away from it all, but as usual trouble is always just around the corner.  
>Would love some feedback :) xx<strong>

"_**Where did I go wrong I lost a friend, somewhere along it the bitterness, and I would have stayed up with you all night had I known…"  
><strong>__The Fray, How To Save A Life_

**Chapter 7: I Thought Wrong**

It was a week later and Greg and Nick were on their way to the airport ready for their trip to LA. Over the past week Crane had made no further contact with Greg for more meetings. Greg assumed this was either because the old casino was now wrecked and he hadn't found a new place or he thought Greg had died in the explosion, but he would soon realise this was not true, it would have been on the news. However this did not make Greg less jumpy every time his phone rang or make him feel safer at a crime scene or even just walking down the street. Catherine had insisted on giving Greg last week off work to help recover from the explosion , but Greg wanted to go to work as usual as he was now quite scared of being alone.

Nick meanwhile hadn't received any more messages from the unknown number, and to be honest he'd forgotten all about it. Over the past week he'd been keeping a close eye on Greg because he didn't think he could bear to see him get hurt again. He'd been monitoring Greg's food intake and was pleased to see he'd gained a few pounds but was far from being back to normal. He'd also gone with Greg to every crime scene they'd been to so he would be there to protect him. Greg had kept saying he was fine and thankful for everything but Nick was over reacting, but Nick just saw it as him looking out for his younger friend.

Once they arrived at the airport Greg and Nick had to go collect their tickets and dump their luggage at the check in. That's where the mysterious figure spotted them. He put his big sunglasses on and pulled his hood up over his face and followed the two CSI's into the waiting room.

"I'm going to get a coffee, you want one?" Nick asked as they found some seats.

"No thanks" Greg replied, and Nick left him sat crossed legged on the chair flicking through a music magazine.

The man followed Nick over to the coffee machine. He watched as Nick pushed some buttons and waited for the coffee to come out. _Time to make a move_ the man thought. He walked casually over to Nick and smiled, he had to seem friendly, but he kept his glasses on and hood up, head slightly bowed not wanting to be recognised.

"Oh finally I've been waitng for someone to show me how to use that thing" he said in a deep voice to Nick pointing to the coffee machine.

"Oh it's a piece of cake, I'll show you" Nick said politely, not seeing through the man's disguise.

"So, were you heading?" the man asked like he was just trying to keep a normal conversation.

"Oh LA, we have this convention thing" Nick answered.

"Small world, that's where I'm heading to" the man said, he now had a location. "That your brother you're going with" the man continued nodding towards Greg.

"Well, he's as good as, but were friends really" Nick said, although he was beginning to wonder why the man was so curious. He didn't notice the man's face grow slightly angry as his last statement. "Here ya go" he smiled handing the man over his coffee.

"Thanks" the man smiled back "I'll see you again_ real_ soon" he whispered so Nick couldn't hear him as he walked away.

The man went and purchased his ticket for the LA flight just like Greg and Nicks. He boarded behind them and got bit edgy when he saw Greg giving him a funny look as he took a seat in front of him.

"I'm sorry, can I help you?" he asked Greg politely.

"Oh no I'm sorry it's just, there's something familiar about you" Greg said, the man could tell by his tone that he was slightly panicked. Good.

The man sat silently the whole flight just watching Nick and Greg talk about nothing much, work, sport the latest music and movies. Every word they said to each other made him angrier and angrier, especially when he knew one of them should defiantly not be talking. They would laugh every now and again and that made the man nearly boil over and loose it completely, but he knew he had to keep his cool, he had bigger plans.

Once they arrived in LA Greg and Nick got a taxi to their hotel and it was getting considerably late so they said goodnight and went off to their separate room's eager for the morning so they could explore the city.

Greg had decided he was going to tell Nick everything tomorrow over breakfast. Nick had gone off to his room and Greg was just finishing unpacking in his when his phone started to vibrate in his pocket. He picked it up without thinking and answered it without checking the caller ID.

"Hello"

"You, I can't believe you!" Greg froze at the sound of the voice he had come to fear over the past few days. He gently sat down on the bed as he whole body began to shake. "You were supposed to die! Can't you do anything right!"

"No" Greg whispered "no I'm not taking your crap anymore! You can't do anything to hurt me or Nick now, I'm going to tell the others and they will find you and they will put you away for good you deranged psychopath!"

"Now, now Gregory let's not be too hasty…" Crane said in his sly voice.

Greg jumped as he heard a knock at the door, _Nick _he thought. He didn't move at first so the person knocked again louder.

"You might want to get that" Crane said menacingly.

Greg didn't think much of it and edged closer towards the door. He reached out a shaking hand and pulled the door open a few inches. He peeked through the gap and dropped his phone in shock. Stood outside was the man he'd seen on the plane with the hood and the glasses on his cell phone. No wonder he'd seemed so familiar.

"Room service" Crane said hanging up his phone and putting it back in his pocket.

Greg slammed the door shut and stood with his back pressed up against it, his feet firmly on the ground as Crane tried desperately to open the door from the other side. Greg was slipping and was about to give in when the attempts to open his door suddenly stopped.

"Aright…." He heard Crane mumble form the other side "I guess I'll just have to go and see if Nick is friendlier."

Greg opened the door without a second thought. There was no way he was going to let Crane get to Nick now, not after everything he'd said and done. Crane entered and had a gun which Greg recognised to be the one Nigel had taken off him that night in the alley. Crane had pointed the gun square in the middle of Greg's forehead; he closed the door behind him.

"I thought that was it. I thought you were gone, out of the way but no you just keep crawling back. Do you not realise how annoying that is." Crane said angrily "how close I keep getting to having Nick all to myself. Like I keep saying he'll never realise how much he misses me if your still here". He had Greg backed up against the wall now. He laughed at how petrified the young CSI blatantly was. "So I thought it would be fun to continue our lessons for a while, because you obviously still haven't learnt to follow the rules…"

"What more do you want!" Greg cried, tears welling in his eyes "what else could you possibly do to me!"

"We'll you'll find out in let's say…." Crane looked down at his watch "about seven hours' time" with that he pulled a rag out of his pocket and launched himself at Greg pinning him against the wall and shoving the rag over Greg's mouth.

Greg tried to yell he kicked and thrashed around, but he felt his muscles become heavy and he became very drowsy. Something smelt funny, _chloroform _Greg thought with his last strength as his eyes drooped shut and he slumped onto the floor.

"Good, this will my job a lot easier" Crane chuckled evilly as he pulled the knife out of his pocket.

Greg opened his eyes groggily as the daylight began to seep through the window of his room. He had been placed on his bed. He hissed in agony and put his hands on his left side as he felt this horrendous searing pain. It was all wet and sticky. Greg slowly brought his hands back up to be in front of his face, they were covered in blood.

He dashed into the bathroom and looked into the mirror. The left side of his shirt was drenched in blood. Shaking slightly he pulled his tee shirt off over his head and threw it into the corner. He fell forward onto the sink; he needed the support as he looked at his mauled side. Carved into his skin where the words _Not Worthy. _They were red raw and still bleeding slightly as Greg gently wiped his fingers across each letter wincing the whole time.

He quickly jumped in the shower to wash off the blood and then found a first aid kit in the wardrobe so he wrapped it up with bandage and pulled on a fresh shirt, double checking the bandage wasn't visible underneath. Then he went over to the bed and pulled off all the sheets that were also covered in blood, he threw them in the trash and replaced them with new ones.

Just then Greg heard another knock at his door. He froze not wanting to answer it in case it was Crane returning. The knock came again.

"Greg? Come on lazy" Greg gave a sigh of relief when he recognised it to be Nicks Texan drawl. He scuttled over to the door to let him in. "you ready for breakfast?" Nick asked cheerfully.

"Yeah I'm starved" Greg said without thinking, "not because I haven't been eating lately" he added hastily not wanting Nick to worry who was looking at him uneasily.

"Hey do you have any headache tablets?" Nick asked "I don't fly to well."

"Erm yeh I put them in the bathroom help yourself" Greg said gathering his things.

Nick wondered into the bathroom and was rummaging around in the cupboards when he spotted something scrunched up in the corner besides the shower. Curious he went over to see what it was. He was disturbed to find it covered in a purple, red substance. Blood. He picked it up and recognised it to be the shirt that Greg had been wearing yesterday. The left side was drenched in blood. He stormed from the room and right up to Greg.

"What is this?" he demanded. Greg just looked at him wide eyed and speechless. "Greg please I can't take this anymore its driving me mad!" he softened his tone as Greg looked like he was going to break down any second. "What's been going on with you? I'm really worried and I just want to help because I care about you Greg. Your my best friend and your hiding something big from me. So just tell me"

"N-nick I'm s-sorry" Greg whispered as tears began to fall, he couldn't hold them anymore. I'm so sorry I can't do this anymore! I didn't want to make you feel bad."

"Hey, hey come here" Nick mumbled as he sat down on the bed with Greg and pulled him in for a hug, he noticed Greg wince and pull away slightly when their sides touched. Greg rested his head gently on Nicks shoulder instead.

"Ok" Greg whispered so quiet Nick barley heard him. "Ok I'm going to tell you everything" he just couldn't do this alone any longer.


	8. Chapter 8: Confessions

**A/N: Greg tells all and Nick doesn't know how to react. Will he find strength or will something get in his way. Will this psychopath ever leave them alone?  
>I feel this chapter is maybe a bit too controversial… I just wanted to create drama. Please review :)<strong>

_**"If only you knew the things we've been through, then maybe you would leave us both alone."  
><strong>__- Loick Essien ft. Tanya Lacy, How We Roll ___

**Chapter 8: Confessions**

"It all started two weeks ago…" Greg began quietly, he had his head bowed not being able to look Nick in the eye. "I was at the robbery crime scene when someone jumped out on me and put a gun to my head…they said that if I didn't do everything they said that they'd kill me and you." Nick looked at Greg in utter shock, how could he have not said anything. "So I had to go to these so called meetings at the abandoned casino. First I was beaten in my chest hence the bruises. Then I was tied to a chair causing my wrists to look how they did. Then he locked me in the vault and blew up the casino, that's why I was inside" Greg finished tears still slightly falling waiting for Nicks reaction.

Nick sat in silence; he couldn't take it all in. He couldn't believe Greg had been through so much trauma over the past week and not said a word and he'd done nothing much to help. Greg had been beaten and almost killed just to keep him safe he shouldn't have had to do that alone. No wonder he'd been so jumpy and so scared over the past week. And all Nick had done was accuse him of trying to kill himself, not believed Greg when he had said he was pushed down those stairs, if only he'd listened none of this would have happened. He was so furious at the man who had put Greg through this pain, but he was also mad at himself.

"Nick please say something…" Greg said getting worried "…are you mad at me?"

"No, no how could I possibly be mad at you after everything you did for me. Things that you shouldn't have had to go through alone...I just can't believe you went through all that. You were in pain and I didn't even know, I didn't do anything to help, I didn't listen to you…"

"Please don't start blaming yourself, he made me promise not to tell you or he'd kill you. He did all of this…" Greg said finally bringing himself to look Nick in the eyes now.

"Greg who is _'he'_ you keep saying 'he" please don't cover for this monster anymore_. _Who did this to you, because I swear when I find them…" Nick said turning threatening now "who would want to do this to you?"

This was the bit Greg had been dreading telling Nick the most. "He says that I'm in the way of you and him being friends, that you won't realise how much you miss if I'm in the way. It's Nigel… Nigel Crane."

Nick didn't think he could feel anymore horrified than he already felt , but that had proved him wrong. He buried his head into his hands. _That psycho_ he thought not being able to believe it _that guy who made my life hell. How did he even get out. _

"No. No this can't be happening…" Nick mumbled "I thought he was gone for good. I thought I was safe and I never thought he'd go after you… " Greg noticed Nick begin to tremble slightly.

"Nicky I'm so, so sorry" he said placing an arm around Nicks shoulder. " I did my best to protect you" Nick sat feeling slightly pathetic, he should be comforting Greg not the other way round "but now I've told you we need to get some protection or else he'll come for you, for us"

"He's here isn't he…he's here in LA right now…" Nick said beginning to feel the panic rise inside him. "He's responsible for that isn't he!" he said jumping up and taking hold of Greg's bloody tee shirt. "Show me what he did…"

"Nick I don't think…" Greg started really not thinking it was a good idea.

"Greg please just show me." Nick pleaded "You can't hide stuff like this from me anymore, I won't let you"

Greg gave a heavy sigh and pulled his tee shirt off over his head to reveal the bandage rapped around him slightly stained in blood. He winced slightly as he unravelled and turned to his side so Nick could see it better. Nick was mortified at the state of it as he read the words _Not Worthy_ imbedded fairly deep into Greg's skin. "It still hurts" Greg muttered not wanting to lie anymore "he knocked me out with chloroform when he did it though". He hastily wrapped his wound back up and pulled on his shirt not wanting to look at it anymore.

"What so that makes it ok to torture you!" Nick said feeling his anger at this manic rise now "And he did this to you last night? How did he even find us! Did he make you tell him?"

"No…you told him" Greg said in deep regret "he….that guy you were talking to at the coffee machine…"

Nick moaned "how I could I have been so stupid not to recognise him! This is all my fault" he was in utter despair now; he sank back onto the bed and buried his head into his hands once more.

"No its not" Greg protested sitting down next to him "don't say that, don't even think that. He's just a messed up maniac and he's going to get what's coming to him."

"Stop trying to make me feel better! I deserve to feel bad, look at what he did to you because _I _told him where we are. Urgh this is so messed up!" Nick yelled totally losing it now. He jumped up off the bed and pounded his fist against the wall.

"Nick calm down!" Greg said getting slightly nervous. "we need to keep it together and we need to go get help before he finds out I told you, he is not getting away this time I promise"

"He shouldn't have gotten away the first time! None of this should have happened to me let alone you…and I'm sorry, I wish I could have taken your place." Nick said walking towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Greg asked quietly as he began to go after Nick.

"No Greg please…just stay here. I need some time alone to calm down and think. Keep your phone on you and call me the second if you think there's trouble, I'll do the same…" Nick instructed Greg firmly.

"Oh ok….but please don't do anything stupid" Greg replied, but Nick seemed to ignore him as he stormed out the room.

….

Nick had been sat in the bar for a couple of hours now and had worked his way through several bottles of beer; it was the only way he could think to cope at the moment. He was normally so stable, with a job like his you had to stay in control, but this was different, it was personal. His ex-stalker was back, could be watching him right now even and Crane had put his best friend through hell and back which he still felt partially responsible for. He wanted to think he'd been sat in that bar because he was thinking up a plan but that wasn't really the case.

He was scared and he just wanted to hide away. That's when it struck him that Greg would be feeling the exact same, if not worse. Nick new what it was like to be on the end of Nigel's Cranes wrath, it was a petrifying place to be. He couldn't believe Greg had even gone through all that, that he'd even survived. He was a lot stronger than Nick and the others gave him credit for. Nick knew if he had been beaten up in that alleyway he would never have dared return and he admired Greg so much for it. It was just horrific that going back there had started a new hell in Greg's life.

Now he felt bad for leaving Greg alone, he best go find him. Nick got up and staggered for a moment as the world spun slightly, he'd drunk more than he thought. He made his way out onto the street after finding some form of coordination and began to make his way back to the hotel. Eventually the world began to spin too much and Nick stumbled into an alleyway and leaned his back against a wall and waited for his vision to fully return.

"Oh there you are" he heard someone say from beside him. Nick spun round his fist raised. "Hey cool it admiral kick ass it's just me" Greg smiled at him, then he crinkled his nose "dude you totally reek of alcohol….is that what you've been doing?" he took Nick's silence as a yes. "Nick how were you going to be able to protect yourself if Crane found you! Look at the state you're in. This isn't you, this isn't what you do! The Nick Stokes I know keeps a clear mind so he can come up with the best solution. He's invincible to me…he's a big brother to me. Come on let's get you back" he took hold of Nick's arm gently but Nick just snatched it away.

"I don't need you to tell me what to do, to tell me how to feel!" he took a tight grip on Greg's right wrist "I know what this guy of capable of and I can handle him myself!"

"Nick please, your drunk, and I'm sorry that I care about you I can see how annoying that can be" Greg said sarcastically.

"This isn't some game Greg! Especially not one we can win, what we tell the LAPD and they arrest him, he's smart and devious he'll have a plan…..What are you even doing out here? I told you to stay in the hotel!" he took hold of Greg's other wrist to now. He ignored Greg's winces as his wrists were still quite sore. "I told you to stay there and keep safe, do you ever do as you're told!" His grip tightened.

"Nick stop it you're hurting me!" Greg yelled.

Nick suddenly sobered and realised what he was doing and let go disgusted by himself. Greg backed away slightly and Nick could see a small hint of fear in his eyes.

"Greg I'm so sorry" he said close to tears now he moved towards Greg but he flinched away. "Greg please you know I'd never intentionally hurt you. It's just…" that's when he broke and tears began to fall "I don't know what to do, how to handle this, I was scared all those years ago and I'm still scared now. Everything he's done to you…it's not right none of this is right." He had never felt so relieved when Greg come over to him and put him arms around him.

"It's ok I know you didn't mean to. I'm scared too but it's ok because we're going to get through this together and Nigel Crane _will_ be put behind bars for good this time. Just you see." Greg said comfortingly. "Now come on you need some sleep. You know, I kind of like being the strong, in charge one for once." Greg said with a crooked smile as they began to walk.

"Yeah well, don't get used to it" Nick said giving an equal smile and nudging Greg's shoulder lightly. "I'm going to protect you from now on no matter what I swear."

"So close…." Crane whispered to himself once the pair were round the corner and out of ear shot "So close to the end….and he'd finally beginning to see how annoying that brat is…one last… _push_ …and it'll all be over"


	9. Chapter 9: Won't Fall Victim

**A/N: Greg's having a good afternoon until that too familiar figure gets in his way. Can he get to Nick in time? Plus I saw an opportunity to mention some other CSI's here so I took it ;)  
>Thank you so much for the positive response to the last chapter I was a bit worried about it, keep the reviews coming :) x <strong>

"_**And we're caught up in the crossfire of heaven and hell. And were searching for shelter."  
><strong>__- Brandon Flowers, Crossfire_

**Chapter 9: Won't Fall Victim **

Nick was totally wiped out by the time they got back to the hotel so Greg insisted that Nick go to bed and he would go to the lecture for that day. As Greg expected Nick protested at first saying how they should stick together from now on and how he wanted to make sure that Greg was safe, but Greg as pointed out he would only be down stairs as the lecture was in one of the hotel conference rooms, plus the fact Nick was still sort of drunk and that is not how the Las Vegas crime lab would wish to be represented. Greg could still not quite figure out why Catherine thought sending him and Nick was a good idea. So eventually Nick gave up and firmly told Greg to come and get him if there was any trouble, which Greg promised to do.

Greg really enjoyed the lecture. He met CSI's from all over the states. He chatted to a lovely couple from New York, Danny and Lindsey Messer who were eager to know more about the Las Vegas life style. He also met Eric Delko and Ryan Wolfe from Miami who said they were sorry to hear about Warrick after working with him once. These people were very nice and knew nothing about what was going on, which Greg liked, he could be his normal friendly self after weeks of torment. He took notes during the lecture to share with Nick later and found it interesting. Probably being one of the least experienced CSI's in the room he was happy to learn and hear about other people cases. Greg was even asked about the Nate Haskell case.

Greg headed back up to his room on a high, he'd actually had the best afternoon he'd had in a long time, but naturally there was something, or rather someone waitng round the corner to drag him back into the hellish reality that was his life at the moment.

Greg was walking up the stair case when he heard a door open about a floor above. Of course he thought nothing of it and continued walking up until he turned the corner to see Crane stood waiting at the top of the stairs for his, gun raised. Greg froze on the spot.

"You broke your promise, you told Nick everything and now he thinks I'm a monster" Crane begun furiously. "Although for a moment in that alley I thought he was beginning to realise. He hurt you and you were scared. What does that say about your friendship? Now I have to make both of you go bye byes. Like I said if I can't have Nick no one else can" that sick evil grin returned to his and Greg knew he had to move.

Greg shot off through the door to his right and found himself on the 3rd floor, he had to get up to the 5th were Nick was. He couldn't take the elevator it was too slow and there was no way he could get through Crane on the stairs, he could think of one other way which may well be his only choice. He heard Crane's heavy footsteps coming after him so Greg made a dash for the fire escape.

The door leading to the outside of the building wouldn't budge at first so Greg had to barge it open with his shoulder. He found himself looking out over the busy streets of LA. He spun round to find a thin metal ladder heading up to the next floor so he jumped on and began to climb as fast as he could. It gave a sudden shudder as Crane started to climb up after him; Greg didn't dare look down and carried on going.

"Good idea" he just about heard Crane call after him through the wind "now I can just pull you down and it would look like an accident, or even suicide, Nicky would love that"

Greg ignored Nigel's cruel taunts and kept on going, determined for it not to end like this. For once he felt that losing weight had come to an advantage as it made him slightly faster and more nimble. He was now on the 4th floor and was totally out of breath but the adrenaline and the need to find Nick kept him going, just one more floor, there was no way he was going to give up now.

He started to make his way up the next ladder and was about half way up when he felt Crane take a tight grip onto his ankle and Greg let out a small yelp as Crane tried to pull him down. Greg clung on to the ladder with all his strength but could feel his fingers begin to slip from the bars. He attempted a wild kick with his free leg stomping on Cranes shoulder and managing to push him down slightly. Crane loosened his grip enough for Greg to break free and shoot the rest of the way up the ladder. Then came the extremely tricky part.

Greg could see the balcony that led out from Nick's room just a few metres away. He wouldn't have time to force the door open and get through before Crane caught up with him. So instead Greg took a deep breath and clambered over the railings so he was stood on the thin ledge five floors above with nothing to fall on but a concrete street. Great.

He stood with his back right up against the wall and began to cautiously edge his way across, again not daring to look down. A small piece of the ledge crumbled from below him and his foot slipped but he managed to flatten himself even further into the wall only just keeping his balance. Greg could feel his heart pounding in his chest, could hear it clear as anything, he thought it was a miracle that he hadn't suffered a heart attack yet.

He dared a quick glance to his left to see Crane reaching the top of the ladder but instead of coming after Greg on the ledge he began to try and pull the door open. Greg carried on moving until he was meer inches from Nick's balcony. It was a small jump from the ledge to the balcony which Greg was very pleased to say he landed with ease. He climbed over the railings and finally felt more steadily grounded as he touched down onto the balcony floor. Then he looked over to check on Crane again but he could see that the door was now open so Crane was inside the building and would be heading for Nick.

Greg went over to the big glass doors that went into Nick's room and started to bang on them loudly with the palm of his hand. He could see Nick dozing lightly on the top of his bed. He twitched lightly at the sudden sound but then settled again.

"Nick!" Greg called loudly as he began to pound on the glass harsher. Crane would be at Nick's door any second now.

Nick could hear the banging in his subconscious getting louder and louder until he let out a groan of annoyance and squinted into the light. He could see a blurred figure stood on his balcony causing the noise. His eyes shot open as his vision came back into focus and he realised it was Greg looking worried and in a rush. Nick jumped up and went over to let Greg in. Greg collapsed slightly onto Nick as he was totally out of breath now.

"Greg, what the hell were you doing out there? How did you even get out there?" Nick asked completely bewildered by the whole situation.

"Saw…Crane…chased…climbed…fire escape…ledge…" Greg panted as he tried to get out his words. Nick's eyes widened at the prospect of what Greg was trying to tell him.

"Oh my god are you ok! I knew I shouldn't have left you" Nick said annoyed with himself.

"Explain later, there's no time!" Greg said managing to get his breathing back to some normality.

He took hold of Nick's arm and was about to drag him back out onto the balcony when a huge crash told them the door had been kicked open. The two CSI's turned round simultaneously to find Crane stood in the door way his gun pointing at Greg.

"On more move and that perilous climb will have been for nothing" Crane said menacingly. He moved forward into the room gently closing the door behind him.

Greg clung onto Nick even tighter now as the fear began to course through him once more. Nick noticed this and placed Greg slightly behind him so that he was acting like a protective barrier between Greg and Crane.

"You keep Greg out of this now you hear me! This is between you and me now so keep that gun pointed at me"

"Nicky" Crane said with a sweet a smile as he could manage "long time no see my friend. Did you miss me?"

"You shouldn't even be here" Nick said bitterly "you should be rotting behind bars for the rest of your sorry life"

"Nicky please don't be like that" Nigel said genuinely hurt by Nick's tone "I just want us to get along. This is all his fault isn't it" he said peering round Nick to glare at Greg "he won't let you be friends with me" Nick stood even more in front of Greg now.

"For God sake just leave him out of this! Don't you think you've put him through enough torture? It's me you want so just leave Greg alone, and the reason I don't want to be friends with you or even for you to come anywhere near me is because you stalked me and then tried to kill me in case you've forgotten!" Nick yelled, Crane just looked at him in shock.

"I'm sorry you see it that way" Crane said quietly "I thought I was just getting to know you better. But I haven't come this far to give up now, I'll have you yet! Come on I'm going to take you somewhere that should seal the deal." Nick looked at him suspiciously "don't worry he's coming to" Crane smiled indicating at Greg.

"No. no way I'm not going to let you hurt him again. He stays here" Nick said firmly.

"Nick you can forget it" Greg whispered to him "I'm not letting you go anywhere with this psycho by yourself" Nick rolled his eyes; he'd forgotten how stubborn Greg could be sometimes.

"Hey don't call me names!" Crane said to Greg "didn't anyone ever tell you that's not very nice. Besides" he said addressing Nick again "it just wouldn't be worth the trip without him…he plays a _very_ important part"

Cranes evil grin after saying this made Nick sick to his stomach and he felt Greg begin to shiver behind him. Nick wanted to desperately turn and hug Greg and tell him everything was going to be alright, but he knew this was a promise he couldn't keep right now.

"Come on I've got a car outside and if you don't come with me then I'm just going to have to shoot the pair of you right here right now" he said dangerously as he took the safety off the gun.

"Alright we'll come" Nick said all the while trying to think of a plan to get them out of it or at least get Greg away safely.

"Good" Crane said with his sickly sweet smile returning to his face "come forward then Gregory." Greg stayed where he was. "Come on we haven't got all day, you first!" he exclaimed.

Greg did as he was told with one last desperate look back at Nick. Nick tried to grab hold of his arm and pull him back but Crane got there first. He had concealed the gun in his jacket pocket now and Nick could just about so the barrel poking at the material. He had the gun pointed at Greg's back and gave him a slight nudge in the back with it.

"Get walking then Gregory and you" he said looking at Nick "walk behind and stay in ear shot or I swear to God I will shoot him and I don't care how many people see"

Nick and Greg shared one last understanding look before Crane practically threw Greg out into the hall way. Nick took a deep breath, shivering slightly himself now and began to follow Greg and Crane down into the unknown.


	10. Chapter 10: New Heights

**A/N: Where exactly is Crane taking them and what is his plan? Does Nick have a plan too? Will the CSI's make it out alive this time.  
>Hope it's an action packed chapter and it's the longest! Please review :) x<strong>

"_**They say it's always dark just before the dawn. So stay awake with me lets prove them wrong."**__  
>- Rise Against, Make It Stop<em>

**Chapter 10: New Heights **

Crane and the two CSI's cautiously made their way down the stair case, through the hotel lobby and out into the car park. It was here that Crane suddenly launched forward wrapping his arm around Greg's neck and forcing the chloroform covered rage over his mouth once more. Greg tried to scream and kick but once again his muscles began to feel heavy and he closed his eyes going completely limp. Crane would have let him fall to the floor if it wasn't for Nick shoving him out the way and catching Greg himself.

"What did you do to him you bastard!" Nick yelled slinging Greg's right arm around his shoulder and supporting his weight, he looked around desperately for help but there was no one else in the car park.

"It's just chloroform" Crane shrugged "I just thought it would give us some private time to talk that's all" it made Nick sick as they way Nigel said this; he made it sound like he had done nothing wrong. "Here throw him in the back…" Crane instructed going over to a car and opening the door for Nick.

Nick was hesitant at first but then Crane pulled the gun out of his pocket again so eventually Nick did as he was told. He dragged Greg the rest of the way and then placed him gently across the back seats. He quickly pressed his ear against Greg's chest and was satisfied that his heart was beating normally.

"How long have you knocked him out for?" Nick asked Crane bitterly as he sat in the passenger's seat beside him.

"Long enough…" Crane replied equally as bitter and he began to drive.

"So what do you want anyway? Where are we going and why did Greg have to come with us?" Nick said his mind just exploding with questions for which he demanded answers.

"As for where we're going I thought because it's such a nice day I'd take you up to this small lake I know up in the hills my dad used to take me there when I was a kid, we were the only ones who knew about it…it's special to me so I want to share it with you because that's what friends do" he gave Nick his sweetly sick smile and Nick shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Trust me were are_ far_ from being friends, we're not even acquaintances." Nick said keeping his bitter tone "so why is Greg here?"

"Well I just thought he's your friend too so you wouldn't want to leave him out…don't worry he can become more involved later" Crane said patting Nick gently on the knee. Nick knocked his hand away and scooted as far away from Nigel as possible, this seemed to upset Crane even further.

"I thought you were finally beginning to realise how annoying he was" Crane sighed "when I saw you hurt Greg outside the bar "

"No, I apologised for that and Greg knows that I would never hurt him, I was just drunk and confused" Nick replied defensively.

"What so that makes it ok?" Crane said knowing it would touch a nerve.

Nick had a serious sense of déjà vu. That was the same thing he had said the Greg earlier about Crane hurting him. He had been mad at Greg for trying to make out what happened to him wasn't so bad and making up excuses about Crane, but now Nick was doing the exact same thing for himself, making excuses and that made him feel extremely guilty and the world's worst hypocrite. Greg had every right to be mad at him but he'd stayed by Nick's side and for that Nick would be forever grateful.

"You really hurt your so called _friend_ so you mustn't like him that much. Did you not see the bruises? On his wrist I'm no doctor but I think they're pretty fresh" he nodded at the rear view mirror where Greg was visible lying on the seats.

Nick looked at Greg in the mirror wide eyed in horror. Crane was right. Greg was lying with one arm drooped over his chest and he could see the blue and purple bruises clear as anything covering Greg's wrist, his other looked the same. Nick was absolutely mortified with himself. After everything Greg had done for him, he'd gone and made it worse; he must have brought back so many horrible memoires. He felt like he didn't deserve to have Greg as a friend at the moment and didn't know why Greg was still willing to protect him. All Nick knew was that he was going to make sure Greg got out of this alive no matter what it took.

"Stop it, stop trying to make me out to be like you" Nick said getting frustrated "you purposefully sought out to hurt Greg, you even tried to kill him in that explosion! I will never be as bad as you and I'll never stop being friends with Greg"

"Oh we'll see about that…" Crane said with an evil smirk that made Nick sick to his very core. "Come on Nick didn't you even think about me once when I was in prison? I thought about you and our friendship every time I felt like giving up"

"What friendship?" Nick yelled, he couldn't take Nigel's sick rants any longer." We have no friendship. You tried to kill me, you made me live in fear and then you went and did the same thing to Greg! The only reason I ever thought of you in prison was about how relieved I was you were behind bars" Nick could see from Crane's face that these words had stung, he didn't have some witty reply so the pair sat in silence for a while longer, Nick keeping an eye on Greg in the rear view mirror.

They had been driving for about an hour when Greg let out a stressed groan. Nick watched as Greg's eyes flickered open and he began to rub them groggily. Greg still felt slightly dizzy and the smell from the chloroform was still lingering around his mind. At first he didn't know where he was or who he was with, but then it all came flooding back like a bad dream.

"Hey there sleepy head…" Crane said in his fake sweetness "we're nearly there now"

Greg sat up slowly on the seats and rubbed his temples, he was glad when the dizziness passed but his muscles still felt droopy and he was still very tired. "Where are we?" he asked drowsily "Nick are you ok?"

"Yeah man I'm fine" Nick told him reassuringly "why didn't you tell me? About the bruises"

"What bru – oh" he trailed off as he studied hid wrists "I didn't even know they were there"

"Oh how ungrateful " Crane snarled "he put a lot of effort into giving you those…"

"Shut up!" Greg replied bitterly "It doesn't matter, I know he didn't mean to hurt me unlike you, you twisted freak"

"Getting feisty now. I like this side of you, you got a good attitude on you when you need to" Crane replied, Greg just ignored this comment.

"Here we go boys" Crane said stopping the car on the edge of a rocky cliff "my secret lake…"

If it weren't for the circumstances Nick and Greg would have found the place rather beautiful. The water in the lake glittered in the sunlight a pale crystal blue. The trees blew elegantly in the slight wind and the hills seemed to roll off into the distance. Only a log cabin could been seen on the opposite side.

"You stay here" Crane instructed Nick.

He got out the car, opened the back door and pulled Greg round, forcing his hands behind his back and tying them together with some rope, Greg yelped in pain as he pulled the rope tightly. Nick wanted to go help Greg, he couldn't stand seeing him in even more pain.

Crane then pulled Greg out by the scruff of his neck, throwing him down on the floor and tying his feet up too. Nick panicked then and jumped out the car also but came to a halt when he saw Crane had the gun poking into Greg's right side. Crane then dragged Greg dangerously close to the cliff edge. It was crumbling around the edge and looked seriously unstable. Nick ran up behind them .

"Stop what are you doing!" Nick demanded but then Crane pushed Greg closer to the cliff edge.

"One more step my friend and he goes to a watery grave!" Crane threatened. Greg was shaking relentlessly and was looking at Nick more petrified than ever.

"Fine do it" Nick shrugged like he didn't give a damn, Greg looked at him in complete shock.

"I beg your pardon?" Crane said with a smile believing he was finally getting through to Nick.

"Do it" Nick repeated "I don't care. All he's been doing lately is bossing me around, telling me how to feel. He doesn't trust me enough to tell me things, why the hell would I want to be friends with someone who doesn't trust me! I mean the way I acted towards you in that alley? Can you not take I hint!"

Nick of course didn't mean any of this but he needed Nigel to believe him. He figured that if Crane thought he hated Greg then it wouldn't be necessary to 'get him out the way' and he would let him go. Nick couldn't bear to look at Greg. He looked so horrified at everything Nick was saying and then Greg bowed his head in shame as even he believed Nick's cruel words.

"Nick I'm really sorry" he mumbled "I didn't know you felt like that" Greg sounded genuinely broken.

Nick felt like the worse person in the world. He wanted to tell Greg so badly that he didn't mean any of it and that he was still his best friend and he would make it up to Greg , but he was doing it for his own good.

"Yeah well sorry just isn't going to cut it!" Nick snarled "Nigel's right you were just in my way. When you were passed out he talked to me, made me realise some things, like I don't_ need_ you. I have Nigel now and he trusts me"

"Yes, yes Nicky! You realise, you finally see it you don't need him all you need is me! I'm so happy you realised." Crane said with a gleeful grin, he made Nick sick.

"Nick I'm sorry" Greg sobbed "I-I didn't r-realise how h-horrible I've been acting " he kept his head bowed to the floor.

"Yeah well it's too late for that now" Nick said pretending to be disgusted "I'm done…lets go Nigel, he can walk"

"Oh no…I want him gone for good." Crane grinned.

He pulled another rag out of his pocket and tied it tightly around Greg's mouth. Greg tried to scream for help but the gag was soon repressing his breathing.

"W-what are you doing?" Nick asked nervously, maybe to nervous, Nigel might notice "leave him he's not worth it"

"No, no I want to take this all. The. Way." What happened next was a blur.

… Greg felt his feet leave the ground as Crane gave him a violent kick and he toppled over the edge of the cliff. He tried desperately to cry out but the shock and fear just consumed him he closed his eyes and waited for the crash as he made impact with the water.

He tried to scream again as he felt an excruciating pain in his left thigh. The water round him began to turn red. He could feel himself sinking deeper and deeper, the light from the surface getting weaker. He thrashed around wildly praying for the ropes to loosen but they just wouldn't. He couldn't breathe. His vision went black and he thrashed about no more.

….

One moment Greg was stood on the cliff edge and the next he was gone. Crane laughed as he stood in the spot from where he'd pushed Greg over the edge.

"No!" Nick yelled in complete terror.

He ran to the edge of the cliff just in time to see Greg hit the water. There was a terrifying splash and Greg was completely gone from sight. Nick could see rocks sticking out the water, it would be a miracle if Greg missed them. _No this can't happen_ Nick thought panicked _I won't let it happen! _He was about to jump in after him but Nigel pulled him back onto the floor.

"I knew it was too good to be true!" he spat. "I knew you still cared about him! Well you won't need to care about him anymore."

"No! I won't leave him!"

With that Nick launched himself at Crane tackling him to the ground. He wrestled with him trying to pry the gun from his hands. Crane managed to roll Nick over so now he was on his back and Crane was on top. Nick managed to get his leg up and kick Crane hard in the stomach, pushing him back he dropped the gun in shock. Nick scrambled up onto his knees and picked the gun up off the floor.

"No don't you…" Crane started to yell running at Nick ready to attack, but he never got there as there was a loud bang as Nick pulled the trigger and Nigel fell to the floor. He went limp and his eyes rolled into the back of his head as he took his last breath.

Nick didn't even take a second to come to terms with what he'd just done he ran to the cliff edge without hesitation and jumped.


	11. Chapter 11: Sink or Swim ?

A/N: Last chapter guys! I hope it's an action packed and gripping end.  
>Nick has dived in to save his friends but will it all be worth it in the end? And Crane is still up there.<br>Reviews are much loved :) x

"_And I hate that I let you down, and I feel so bad about it, I guess karma comes back around 'cause now I'm the one who's hurting."__  
><em>_- Jessie J, Nobody's Perfect_

Chapter 11: Sink or Swim?

Nicks skin turned ice cold as soon as he hit the water. He opened his eyes wide as possible but was absolutely terrified when he couldn't see Greg anywhere; he prayed this was because he'd resurfaced. He swam back up to the surface of the gleaming pool of water to see if he could see anything useful. Greg again was nowhere in sight and he was very disturbed to find a red patch of water to his right.

Nick took a big breath and plunged back into the shadowy depths of the water. He swam in the direction of which he'd seen the red tint and resurfaced again to take another breath. If he'd already had to take a breath twice, things were not looking good for Greg.

He sank back under and scanned the lake floor with extra precision and that when he saw it. The gag Crane had wrapped around Greg's mouth began to float to the surface from behind a circle of rocks. Nick pounded through the water as fast as he could and that's where he found Greg lying helplessly in the centre of the rocks. His hands and feet were still tied, eyes closed and skin ghost pale.

Nick swooped down and tried pluck Greg's still body out from the rocks but the ropes binding his limbs together were caught on some reeds. Nick started to desperately pull at the ropes and managed to loosen them enough to slip Greg out of them. He wrapped one are firmly around Greg's waist and began to swim back to the surface. Nick was so close to the surface now he could see the bank at the side of the lake.

Nick gave Greg one big push and sent him all the way up to the surface so he was gently floating. His head was now at least out of the water and he was safer than before. Nick emerged seconds later and started to breathe heavily taking in the fresh air. He linked Greg's arm in his and began to pull him to the side of the lake when suddenly something took hold of Nick's ankle and dragged him back under the water.

Nick flailed around trying to shake off his assailant. He spun round only to come face to face with a revengeful looking Nigel Crane. _No…_ Nick thought wildly _No I just killed him! I'm seeing things_. He could still see the blood coming out of the wound he had made near Nigel's left hip. It obviously hadn't been enough to make him take his last breath after all.

Crane lunged forward and gripped Nick around his throat; Nick opened his mouth in shock and engulfed some of the water. Nigel then tossed him aside and went up for Greg once more. Nick was faster though. He scrambled his way back up to the surface coughing and spluttering as he broke through, the water he had swallowed came back out of his throat. Breathing heavily again he swam over to Greg were he could see Nigel's hand taking a frim hold of Greg's left arm.

"No!" Nick cried through his coughing fit "no get the _hell_ away from him!"

He dived at Nigel ripping his hand off Greg and holding Crane's head under the water. He could feel Nigel kicking and punching to try and get free but it was no good as Nick kept his grip strong and finally he felt Crane moving no more. Nick pulled him up to the surface, Crane was still breathing but only just, and as for Greg he wasn't sure.

Nick pulled to two men onto the bank. He gently laid Greg across a patch of grass hoping the heat from the sun will have made the grass warm and therefore warming Greg to as Nick could feel his skin was ice cold. He then dragged Crane across the ground and propped him up against a nearby tree and using some more rope he'd found in Cranes pocket to tie him there.

He then ran back to Greg's side and dropped down beside him. He put his ear on Greg's chest and his fingers on his wrist pulse; he could hear and feel Greg's heart beating but only just and with some inconsistency. He then found the source of the blood as Greg had a deep gash on the inside of his left thigh, blood still oozing out of it. Nick scoured his surroundings and found some moss on the ground which he used to keep pressure on the wound. He then went and did the same for Nigel, why he wasn't really sure but Nick knew he had to do something to help or he would just be as bad as Nigel himself.

He rummaged through Nigel's pockets and found a phone zipped up in the inside of his jacket pocket. He felt the luckiest person alive when it worked he dialled 911 and was told the ambulances and the police were on their way. How long exactly he couldn't be sure as they appeared to be in the middle of nowhere and Nick had had to describe his surroundings so they were able to find them. He then when and sat down on the grass beside Greg so he could keep a close eye on him, his breathing still wasn't very strong.

Nick was shivering mercilessly half because the water had been at a ridiculously low temperature and half because he was petrified by what had just happened and even more petrified about if Greg was going to make it. He decided to keep two of his fingers on Greg's neck were his pulse should be and then stared absentmindedly into the distance up the road waiting for the ambulances, pulling his knees up into his chest and rocking back and forth slightly.

And that's when he felt it…or rather what he didn't feel. Greg's pulse slipped away and his chest stopped bobbing up and down altogether.

"No…" Nick said his eyes widening in fear "No Greg stay with me!"

He remembered from basic training about preforming CPR. He started push down on Greg's chest using the correct motions and trying to open his airway down his throat.

"Come on Greg" Nick whispered and tears began to stream down his face "come on you can't die, you just can't die not thinking that I hated you" he was just about to give up convinced it wasn't working when he saw Greg's fingers begin to twitch out the corner of his eye "Greg?" Nick sniffled quietly "Greg can you hear me?"

Greg's eyes flickered open and he immediately rolled onto his side and began to cough violently bringing up lots of water. He then laid back and half closing his eyes, looked at Nick.

"Nick…" he croaked "What are you still doing here? You came after me? I thought you…"

"No. No Greg I didn't mean any of it. I thought he'd let you go if he got what he wanted. I only wanted to protect you but I made it all worse. I'm so, so sorry" he said tears still falling.

"Hey" Greg said soothingly but he was still very weak "hey it's ok. You did it to try and keep me safe and then from what I gather you saved my life. You're still my big bro" he gave a weak smile and slowly slipped his shaking hand into Nicks. Nick flinched away at first surprised by just how cold it was but then took Greg's in his.

"You're my lil' bro, even if I don't deserve to have you right now" Nick said looking down at Greg, who had closed his eyes again.

"You might not have me for much longer…" he said quietly.

"No don't say that!" Nick exclaimed "don't even think like that, I've got help on the way"

"What happened to Crane?" Greg asked and Nick simply turned his head slightly and nodded towards the tree. Greg saw him tied and slumped up against the tree "Mmm I see admiral kick ass came back" he said with a crooked smile and Nick laughed lightly.

Greg hissed in pain and squeezed Nick's hand. "Oh my god that really hurts" he said looking down at the gash on his thigh, he screwed his face up in pain.

"I know I'm sorry, you must have cut it on a rock" Nick explained. He felt totally useless and couldn't bear to see his friend in pain like this.

"Oh my god I'm being so selfish" Greg said suddenly annoyed with himself "What about you? Are you ok?" he looked at Nick concernedly.

"Yeah" Nick smiled, it was typical of Greg to worry even though he could blatantly see Nick was fine "yeah I'm fine and I'll stay fine as long as you stay with me ok?"

"I'll try" he croaked, and then his body started to shake all over, Nick could feel the shaking in Greg's hand getting harder. "it's s-so c-cold" he whispered "w-why is it so c-cold" and with that Nick felt Greg's hand shaking in his no more.

"Greg?" Nick said absolutely petrified again, he checked his pulse…nothing. "No Greg you can't do this" he started to preform CPR again "No you can't give up now! Not after everything you've fought through."

Just then Nick heard vehicles approaching from around the corner. _Thank god_ he thought as the ambulances and police cars came tearing round the corner. They pulled up on the side of the road and a couple of medics came rushing towards Nick.

"Not breathing, he's not breathing please do something I can't lose him!" Nick stumbled through his tears.

"Ok come with me sir" a female medic said putting her arm around Nick "I promise my colleagues will take good care of him".

"I don't wanna, I don't wanna leave him" Nick said but he was already allowing himself to be taken away from the medic.

She took Nick to sit down in one of the ambulances and put some thermal blankets around him to try and keep him warm. Nick saw another medic tending to Nigel at the tree, police officers were there to. He had told them everything about what Nigel had done.

"You're very brave" the woman said comfortingly as she checked Nick over for injury "I saw you doing the CPR, you were very good"

"Not good enough…" Nick choked as he looked at the medics huddled around Greg.

He hated not being able to see what was going on. Then he saw them place Greg onto a stretcher and carry him onto the other ambulance, without a second thought Nick jumped down and followed them.

"What's going on is he going to be ok?" he asked desperately sitting down beside Greg.

"Yes we got him to start breathing again" one of the medics explained "as soon as we get him to the hospital were gunna clear the water out of his lungs and stitch up the gash but it's not showing any sign of infection yet"

"So…so that's good right?" Nick dared himself to ask "he's going to stay alive…isn't he?"

"Yes" the medic said confidently, Nick had never felt such a huge rush of relief in his life.

As soon as they reached the hospital Greg was taken into the operating theatre will a nurse took Nick and gave him some new clothes to put on so he could get out of the wet ones. Then Nick went and sat on a chair in the waiting room leant forward, hands clasped and one knee bobbing up and down as he waited nervously for some news.

"Nick Stokes?" a doctor approaching Nick brought him out of his thoughts, he jumped up from his seat. "Mr Sanders is going to be fine" he said with a smile. Nick gave a massive sigh of relief and put his hands together like he was praying.

"Oh thank God" he whispered.

"Yeah he's awake and asking to see you" the doctor said as he began to lead Nick to Greg's room.

"What happened to Nigel?" Nick asked nervously as they walked.

"Mr. Crane didn't make it" the doctor replied "his bullet wound got badly infected and there was nothing we could do, he deserved it though from what I gather" he opened the door to Greg's room "I'll leave you to it, buzz if you need anything" and he left Greg and Nick alone.

Nick and Greg just smiled at each other and then Nick silently made his way over to Greg and wrapped his arms tightly around him.

"You scared the hell out of me" Nick said not wanting to ever let go.

"I know I'm sorry I've been doing that a lot recently" Greg said with a crooked smile.

"Yeah well, we don't have to worry anymore Crane's dead. He can't hurt you anymore." Nick said finally feeling at peace.

"Is it wrong I'm quite pleased about that?" Greg said sheepishly.

"No not after everything he's done to you. Hey I called the guys in Vegas there all on their way to come see you" Nick said pulling away and smiling.

"Really that's great!" Greg said beaming. "Thank you for saving me" he said giving Nicks hand a squeeze.

"and you for keeping me safe" Nick said squeezing back.

"What are friends for?" Greg said smiling and the two men sat together relived that there mines could finally be at rest and they still, and would always have each other.

I would just like to say thank you so, so much for all the wonderful reviews they have really made me happy and just thank you for reading and sticking with the story. Going to be quiet for a while with exam period coming up but I promise I will return!  
>Thank you so much :)<p>

Lil Badger 101 xx


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